Super Shinobi X
by Illuminet
Summary: Jirou Musashi is a member of the Oboro Clan of Ninja. An incident in his village casts him nearly 800 years into the future. Here he finds strange sights to take in as well as meet the Sekirei, an alien race that by all normal appearances seem Human yet are so much more. Can he adjust to this strange, new life?
1. Chapter 1

Super Shinobi X(Cross):

The Story #1

Disclaimer: Characters from Shinobi series and Sekirei series are the rightful property of their respective owners.

Note(Edited:04/30/13): So I've finally gotten a Beta Reader for this story, and my first time working with one in general. Regardless, the experience is quite fun. His name is Cassius Brutus, writer for the fanfic "Will You Listen To My Song?" in the Sekirei Section. It is well written and very popular, so definitely check it out. Chapters 1-4 of this story have gotten some minor edits.

Chapter 1

1256 A.D. Kyoto Japan

'This is the place...a strong energy permeates from further up...I must reach the Forgotten Temple.' The man thought to himself. Despite the rage of fury dancing within his mind and heart, his composure was calm, for anger was not the right emotion to have for it clouded judgment. The Oboro Clan of Ninja, based deep in the mountainous territories of Kyoto, Japan had been ambushed by a powerful force of Ninja. They bore an odd Z shaped crest upon their garments. Zeed was the name the man heard in passing of some of them. Why they had attacked? This man was here to find that reason. The words of his friend and teacher crossed his mind.

'Jirou, my friend, follow that source of light that shown from the sky over the tallest mountain. The Forgotten Temple is there if I remember correctly. I shall remain here and help defend and evacuate our citizens.' Had been spoken by the Shadow Master, whose name was no longer disclosed to any normal civilian or Ninja. Jirou Musashi, his sparring partner and friend, had fought to remove the threat from the buildings of their once peaceful village. As one of the closest people to the Shadow Master, Jirou was truly one of the most powerful Shinobi amongst the others.

'I pray my wife is safe...please, may the forces that be...let Naoko be safe.' He had fought to reach the stables, his wife having been there and equipping his stallion with battle armor. As he was garbed in his Shinobi Gear, he spared her a small embrace and both shared a nod in understanding. He had a duty to fulfill. She saw him off as he rode towards the great mountains, sparing a loving smile just prior to his departure. He fended himself from the enemy Ninja with his ninjatou before being able to safely make passage to be on his way. He bid his ride farewell before making his way up to the Forgotten Temple.

The enemy Ninja were easily able to identify the lone Shinobi, for he wore light yet strong padded clothing of white that covered most of his body. Upon his hood was a guilt gold protector on his forehead and a scarlet died face mask with vents on the surface for easy breathing. Light and wide banded metal guards were equipped to his right shoulder and both of his thighs, a tantou sheathed upon the left leg. Black and tight fitting cloth adorned his arms and legs from elbows and knees down to the tips of his fingers and toes, covered over by scarlet colored metal arm and leg bracers.

'Never protract the fight. The first blow is the last.' Shadow Master's words were ringing in his mind as sure as if they had been picked up by his ears, some about three hours prior to this point. He had been sparring with his old friend and both had indulged not only in physical combat but of words of wisdom. Jirou had been near twenty years his junior, but through great effort and work, he was able to become such close friends with the man who would be like his father figure and mentor. He readjusted the long red scarf about his neck, then unsheathed his ninjatou from it's saya which was attached to his back via a tough yet flexible leather armor that served also as a kind of baldric and possessed a golden crest in the form of a lion upon it where the shoulder strap met front to back to hold the saya in place. A leather belt that was the same color as the chest armor he wore had hidden compartments for his kunai and other small tools to have easy access, it's center contained the crest of the Oboro clan.

Jirou spun the ninjatou so that it was in the inverted grip he favored and began to make a steady run towards his destination, for he had a long ways to go and knew stealth was not his ally in this place for he was one against many yet knew well that he surpassed all these enemies thus far. Besides that, there was not much brush or any buildings to hide with so far out in this place.

"Die!" Jirou had heard the Ninja try and strike him down from the air, jumping from tall kite shaped gliders, but Jirou already knew well that the Ninja was on his way down to attempt ending the Shinobi's life. Jirou brought his blade behind him and defended the small tantou the Ninja tried to dig into his ribs from the side. Successfully parried, Jirou spun around and hacked the Ninja's head cleanly off, then the Shinobi was already on his way before the corpse could fully fall. Two more Ninja attacked him at once, and Jirou's blade flashed in a blur as he guarded their strikes before sending his ninjatou in a wide arc to sever both their heads off at nearly the same time. Another enemy, using a kusari chain swung the blade at Jirou suddenly in hopes of catching the Shinobi off guard.

"What...?" The rice hat wearing bandit could barely get out before Jirou cut him deftly through the shoulder to the hip to cut the man in half. Jirou crouched under a thrown shuriken by a Ninja further out, throwing one of his own that came out so quick the green clothed Ninja didn't even realize he had been pierced through the heart and toppled over. Jirou continued making his way through the once abandoned mountain path, killing his enemies without predjudice, letting them all meet the same fate.

A naginata wielding Samurai under Zeed command projected a fiery blast of ki energy to take out the bridge Jirou had been traversing. The Shinobi leaped high into the air to avoid the attack, sheathing his ninjatou in a fluid motion and grabbed onto the remaining rope that used to hold the wooden planks upon them. Jirou swung towards the other side, tailing the Samurai as he made his way up the hill and stand guard of inner path, which had once been a mining facility for precious ore by the Oboro clan. The Samurai laughed heartily as he did cruelly while he used his ki fire to try and bar Jirou's access. Jirou surprised the Samurai by absorbing the blast with his blade before zipping forwards and thrusting his Ninjatou through the enemy's throat, right in between the protective plates. Jirou kicked the Samurai off his sword and made his way towards the river path, which once had a bridge to cross.

'Strange...it has gotten very cold here, yet I'm still so far from the mountain top. I sense foul energy building there...I must put a halt to it!' Jirou wanted to growl in frustration, feeling the dark energy amongst the benevolent nature he cherished so deeply. A shoddy raft was still tied to the banks of the strong flowing river, and Jirou cut the rope with his blade. He cut down some Ninja that boarded from the banks along the river. A waterfall met the river, providing a natural defense for the mines. Old logs would fall from these parts, and Jirou used his acrobatic skills to leap from one log to another to make his way towards what remained of what had once been a safe entrance to the mines. Quite a bit of the Zeed menace had also made way to this area.

'Damn these bastards...have they also reached the Forgotten Temple? Could they have been the reason for that source of light shining at the Mountain Base?' Tougher enemies may have met him, but they were not enough to harm the Shinobi and he shed their blood freely with both blade and kunai of his own. He had crossed a large portion of the waterfalls on his way up further into the mountains. Felling another Samurai barring his path, Jirou was rather surprised to see ice formed upon the dirt ground within the large cavern he entered. Even icicles formed upon the ceilings.

"How...?" Jirou was not usually one to lose his composure as a quiet figure, but this ice and cold he felt was encroaching somehow, for there was no way it could have built this much so soon. Something was definitely wrong, and it would be up to him to right them. All the other Shinobi, as far as he knew, were with the Shadow Master protecting their humble village. The mighty Shinobi made his way up the winding cavern trail, his mind keeping the cold at bay of seeping into his bones.

When he emerged out to the small clearing that led to the path towards the Forgotten Temple, he could only stare at awe as the snow wildly whipped about. He met further opposition, but not much as he ascended upon patches of snow covered rocks that crumbled under his weight, forcing him to leap to sturdier surfaces. Ninja tried to get the jump on him as he ascended by striking out at him as he rose up on the ledges, but to no avail. Jirou's mind was too well attuned to these Ninja's dark auras. He killed them without mercy, letting their carcasses fall into the snow. Finally he made his way towards a sheer cliff face, the remains of a once impressive wooden stair case reduced to rubble thanks to the ware of time. Jirou's eyes, a cool steel bluish grey in color, narrowed as he caught sight of standing corpses of some of his Zeed enemies, frozen completely solid. Upon their visages was mainly a look of euphoria, as if they had gazed at something rather pleasant before death took hold of them.

'Nothing I can see stirred the ground except for the enemies themselves. What could have done this...!' It was as if they had allowed themselves willingly to die here by freezing. Jirou felt the pulse of foul energy strongest atop the cliff where the Forgotten Temple stood, a part of its wide roof peaking out from Jirou's vantage point. His senses were on high alert as he scaled the cliff face and made his way up to the top. More standing and frozen corpses greeted the Shinobi.

"There is no use hiding, foul creature. Reveal yourself, for I will not fall prey to your tricks!" Jirou snarled under his mask, wanting to meet and slay this dark being. The biting winds gathered densely together, from the snow emerging a feminine figure whose skin seemed of fragile porcelain and ebony hair accented with fine golden pins and combs. Her kimono was as white as snow, designed to show the woman's generous bust, of which she flaunted with a teasing sneer at Jirou's direction. The Shinobi was not moved by her seductive assets or the demure pout of her lips, painted in a greyish blue hue. The irises and pupils of her eyes were barely visible. Her hands stayed within the wide sleeves of her kimono.

"So you did this...Yuki Onna." There was a tone of finality in his voice, his battle stance rising to a calm poise as he held the ninjatou behind him, the blade aimed skyward as it remained parallel with his equipped arm. He knew of the legendary creatures only through myth, and while quite a few held truth in them, many more were just folklore at best.

"That symbol upon your belt...that is the crest of the Oboro clan is it not? Well met, sweet Human, you seem to possess an amazing strength. Therefore you must be one of the better trained Shinobi of your ilk. The smell of you...you know of a woman's warmth, but tell me, can your female mate match me in beauty?" The Yuki Onna gave a light chuckle, her sleeve rising to cover her mouth in a demure gesture. Jirou scoffed.

"There is more than skin deep beauty that exists in the love between man and woman. Seeing what you've done to these other men, I will have no part in your seductive and destruction filled nature nor have I for a second indulged the thought even for but a moment. I will put an end to your life, but first tell me, the light that shined here that was visible from the village, was it your doing?" Jirou's grip upon the hilt of his ninjatou tightened ever so slightly. The Yuki Onna smirked.

"All I know of that light was that it set me free of those accursed bindings. Who caused it I could care little to know for I have my freedom. It is a shame that you remain loyal to your woman, but that is all well and good, for it will make it all the more pleasurable when you are caressed in my cold embrace, sweet Human. Meet the fate of all these foolish mortals who came here believing they could harness my power." The Yuki Onna's once light features became neutral as she began to make her way closer to him. Jirou eased into his battle stance once more.

'I suppose I will get to report to my village if a Yuki Onna bleeds crimson like any mortal being.' Jirou thought for a moment, his eyes narrowing. He hadn't let his guard down for even a second despite what any outward appearances shown. He would kill this monster. Of this he had no doubt, only complete conviction. The two combatants strafed about one another, Jirou leaving signs of disturbing the snow while the Yuki Onna did not, appearing to glide over it. It proved the myth that a Yuki Onna could move through snow without disturbing it. Sensing the frigid aura around her, he decided to test what effects it might have and swung out with his free arm, sending two kunai at her person one after the other. The aura was so powerful that the projectiles froze and shattered against her skin like glass, leaving no injury. Jirou could understand why the Ninja of Zeed could not gain much control of the Yuki Onna. She laughed at his display.

"You might as well come in close and try your blade." She taunted. Jirou indulged her with caution, for he was very sure that she did something similar to get the enemy Ninja frozen. She blew a kiss towards him, a blast of cold air blowing in a decently wide radius. Jirou jumped out of the way, sensing her aura dissipate as she discharged her cold based protective powers to offense. Landing behind her, he cut into her back with his ninjatou twice, causing her to jerk and growl in pain and surprise as she was sent spinning to face him, while he fired off a kunai to embed into her left shoulder and throw her balance further off. Before she could gain her balance on her own, he whipped out his grappling chain from within the confines of belt, as it was kept near the back so as to not interfere with his container of kunai. The chain wound about her waist as he tugged her bodily towards him, his blade passing by as he left a wide gash upon her back.

She twisted and freed herself from his chain as he flicked his wrist to coil the chain back and place it back in his belt where it was holstered under. She seethed at him as he turned to face her. She disappeared in shards of diamond like dust. Even though she transported herself behind him in nearly the blink of an eye, his aura sensing capabilities allowed him to telegraph her location feeling her shoot ice kunai at him in rapid succession. Jirou smacked two of them to the ground before using impressive speed to close the distance in a flash, bypassing the rest of the ice kunai and cutting into her arms viciously with his sword.

'She's more durable than a typical Human, that much holds true.' He thought, knowing that while the attack hurt her quite severely, her arms were sparred of being cut completely off. The blood running from her wounds were moist and red, but began to freeze solid. She bared her teeth at him in a vicious snarl.

"Curse you, Oboro scum! I will freeze you solid yet!" Her eyes were narrowed into slits and gritted her teeth. Jirou could feel her amassing power within her body. He held his blade up in a defensive manner in front of himself, the flat of the blade parallel with the ground. He rushed her at that moment, sure she was going to try and unleash a powerful attack, which she did. A blast of frigid air left her outstretched arm, it's radius very wide, but Jirou was already well aware of such a tactic and took to the air with a massive leap as the ground exploded in a cloud of snow and ice.

"Now then...what?! NO!" She thought she had struck him, but his speed had allowed him to bypass her own senses as he took to the air, covered by the explosion she set off. She caught sight of him descending upon her far too late to be able to defend herself in time. His blade cut cleanly through her delicate neck, so fine that her head did not fall and roll, remaining upon her body even as it descended into the snow. Jirou's blade was still aimed skyward from his killing blow, the cut having not left a stain of blood from how fast it came through her neck.

'Little one...it must have been an exhausting journey.' Jirou thought to himself as he caught a small flicker of light not far from his still extended weapon. The firefly was attuned to the calm peaceful soul that Jirou possessed. He loved nature dearly, and respected it and all the creatures borne to existence. He knew he had to end the wicked but he would pray that they would repent and find peace in the afterlife. He would bury the Yuki Onna and her victims and pray for them, just as he would the victims he himself claimed. He could judge no further the fate of a being walking the afterlife road, only that they learn to repent of their evil deeds in life. Jirou knew that he too would have to tread such a fate when his time came. But until that time came, he would live his life on the most righteous path he knew. The firefly seemed to sense something amiss, just slightly before Jirou, and it looked towards the far off direction where the Oboro village was situated. Jirou also looked, before a great light descended upon his village, causing a massive quake that rocked all the way to up in his location high in the mountains. The explosion that followed was tremendous, a scale of which Jirou could never fathom, just barely able to as he witnessed it with his own two eyes.

"NO! My mentor and friend...my fellow comrades...my beloved wife...Naoko...NAOKO!" Fury and sadness roiled into one conglomerate within him. He had little time to think of the fate of his people however, realizing the explosion was spreading further out to where he was. There was only one thing he could think of to save himself, and that was the use of the ancient Oboro clan Ninjutsu abilities. While not as numerous as that of other Shinobi clans, the Oboro were known for their amazingly powerful yet refined skill in the art of casting Ninjutsu. Tendrils of golden light swirled about Jirou as if like ribbons of light as they twisted about his form. He formed the protective electrical barrier of immense defensive properties, the Ikazuchi spell. Jirou could not be sure if it would really protect him from the blast in it's entirety, but there was little he could do now, the light so blinding that he closed his eyes and covered his face to try and keep the light at bay, for it was as if he was on the sun itself and could not look elsewhere. He gritted his teeth, not willing himself to scream, for there would be no terror to cloud his mind. He would not allow it. When he fell unconscious, however, he could not be sure. Time seemed to lose all meaning to him.

2020 A.D. Shintou Teitou, Japan

'The future is unknown. The past is done. There is only Now.' Shadow Master's words sounded in his head. Jirou groaned, not able to dispel the darkness from his mind just yet. He could feel several presences, so many that it was stifling. He tried to calm his inner nerves of all the presences he felt and was able to silence most of them. Still, he could feel those with ill intent seeming to swarm around him. One tiny gentle aura shined through in his mind's eye. He felt the small flicker upon the side of his hood. The firefly. It buzzed, knowing of the approaching danger. Jirou's eyes snapped open to full wakefulness as he saw black hands reaching towards him. His ninjatou was still clenched in his fist and he was glad for it, swinging the weapon in a wide arc. Screams of pained men filled the air, their arms hacked away in that single stroke. Jirou ended their suffering by taking their lives. Jirou barely heard the command given by the crowd of black dressed men, pointing strange things of black metal towards him.

"Fire!" The order given alerted Jirou that something long range was about to be used against his person. Had his senses not been so well attuned at the moment due to the danger he faced, he might have stared in dumb awe of the rapid fire capabilities of these men's guns. Jirou's reflexes were so fast however, that he was able to deflect the bullets away from his person, sending them back to the very users.

Jirou was not familiar in the slightest with firearms for there would be nothing remotely similar to compare the weapons to for he lived in a time when muskets had yet to come into true being, thus the way of the sword reigned supreme in his time, though currently he was unaware of where, or rather, when he was. The men howled in pain and fury. Jirou would put them out of their misery, but more of the strange armored men bared their long range weapons. Jirou wasn't sure how long he could hold off these individuals while he was still shaking off the fatigue of the strange explosion that brought him here. He felt another wave of men rushing up to this strange location that was very tall. Jirou expertly threw his kunai at them as a distraction before running over the ledge of the strange place he was around.

'This is...a mountain?' Jirou could only stare in awe of the strange sights he was bearing witness to. He landed upon a vertical ledge, seeing his reflection in large windows but not knowing the names for them and seeing strangely garbed men and woman gazing at him with some strange wonder. As a Shinobi, he was far from being afraid of the impressive height and lack of actual ground to bypass on this strange mountain he would later come to know was a skyscraper. Using athleticism and acrobatics, Jirou made his way down towards ground level, but could only gawk at the strange natives of this world. Few and far between did he see people dressed in anything he found recognizable. Usually it was an elderly lady who would wear a kimono, and that was about it. While older folks wore more conservative wear, the youth had strange styles of which Jirou could barely fathom. Strange colored and spiky hair on most young male teenagers, and some girls wearing so little, Jirou could only wonder why their parents didn't give a constructive criticism to wear the appropriate amount of clothes and not show so much skin.

Deciding he wasn't ready to even attempt to figure out what was going on with these strange people on their strange ground, Jirou took hold of his grappling chain and used it to cover much space between the tall and strange shaped mountains he was in contact with.

'Are those...wagons? But...they possess no horses! How is it they move?' He spied darker pieces of land where strange sounding beasts owned the territory, or so he had thought until he saw people come and go within their metal bodies. They also possessed strange colored wheels Jirou was unfamiliar with as well. He noticed that some mountains were not as tall as others and possessed bizarre signs flashing on their surfaces. He could make out what they said but could not understand the meanings such things as "Take Out" or "To Go" or "Value Pack" just to name a few.

"This place...what sort of horrid place is this? It's so loud and noisy...so devoid of any kind of nature, and no animals...just so many scores and scores of oddly dressed people. That explosion...my Ninjutsu protected me...but how did I end up here?" Jirou could only mutter softly to himself. He also felt aggravated, his gaze taking to the blue sky where only a few wisps of clouds passed by over the strange mountains. He felt as if something was watching him and he could not escape it's gaze, adding to his frustration. He was Shinobi, those who could disappear at will, yet there was something that seemed to be following him from up there beyond the clouds and he could not fathom why the cruel feeling took hold. A light flickered before him, the firefly seemed to have followed him, now beckoning him to follow it. Giving a sigh out of frustration for he did not understand where it was he ended up, for now, he would follow his only friend. The firefly that survived the strange explosion and met him in this place.

Elsewhere at the tallest structure of Shintou Teitou did a woman observe the footage from the comfort of her office. Her silver hair was cut short and her face was drawn with a scowl most of the time, but right now she frowned. Upon her lithe frame she wore a lab coat with the name tag of Sahashi, Takami.

'Who the hell was that guy? He looked like a Ninja from a terrible anime...but his reflexes...holy shit!' She kept using a remote to rewind and play the Ninja in action. It had been from the visor cam of the captain she sent out to investigate the strange streak of fire that arose from the coming dawn sky. The tiny meteor had appeared out of no where and landed about two skyscrapers shy of MBI Tower, the said tallest structure in what had once been the city of Tokyo.

"I've only ever seen a Sekirei fight off Humans without being scathed. But I don't recognize him at all. The only discernible marking I see on him is that strange symbol on his breastplate and belt. Guess I should try and see what info I can drag out from that..." Takami muttered. Her cellphone started vibrating in the pocket of her lab coat. When she pulled it out to check and see who was calling her, the name on it read Sahashi, Minato.

"Well, if it ain't that darling son of mine. He had the exams today didn't he?" She said after a moment of thought as to why he would call her so early in the day. She flipped the cell phone open so she could talk with her son, Minato.

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Super Shinobi X(Cross):

The Story #1

Disclaimer: Characters from Shinobi series and Sekirei series are the rightful property of their respective owners.

Note(Edited:04/30/13):Thanks for those who show their support for this story. It is much appreciated. As stated before these originally posted chapters have received some edits to them.

Chapter 2

Botanical Gardens of Shintou Teitou

'Wow...a strange little forest amongst this peculiar land of gray. But why is it fenced off?' Jirou pondered as he landed on the side of another strange mountain of this world. The firefly flickered awhile longer as it zipped into the forest from up high. Feeling he would have to do similar, Jirou took an impressive leap, and striking the side of the large metal gates and used ki concentrated in his limbs to perform his spider walk ability, he landed near soundlessly, catching sight of guards below who were dressed similarly to how the men that tried to capture him upon waking up, holding their guns in two hands. Jirou knew that so far no one knew of his location, except that accursed feeling of being watched somewhere in the sky. Hopefully the dense trees would see to him having privacy as he scaled the rest of the gate with ease and slipped under the guise of the trees. When he was here, he immediately felt more at ease than he had a couple of hours earlier as he explored the expansive yet daunting gray world he would later come to know was the city of Shintou Teitou.

'Rest my friend, and thank you for bringing me here.' Jirou caught the flicker of his tiny friend up higher in the trees. It soon ceased, and Jirou could not feel it's tiny aura any longer. Knowing its time had past, Jirou spared the firefly a prayer for the great service it had rendered to him. But it had been just an insect, and so would have likely not lived for very long regardless. Deciding to explore the forest, Jirou trudged with a light step and remained in the shadows of the trees. He no longer felt that eye in the sky feeling which helped calm him further.

Within the Northern City

Elsewhere within the hidden walls of an old but decently sized boarding house known as Maison Izumo, a voluptuous female with long red hair tied into thick braids and wearing a silk qipao dress that was of light pink like the sakura petal and had an opening in the front to show a generous amount of cleavage, was typing madly upon her keyboard. Her wide rimmed glasses reflected the many bright LCD computer screens that filled her tiny living space.

"Oh drat...he went and hid himself in the Botanical Gardens. Maybe I could get a feed from the security cameras in the area..." She pondered aloud and hacked into the said cameras but could get nothing actually in the Botanical Gardens for there were no security cameras in the inner confines of the massive garden. Either that or they had been destroyed by the plant outgrowth.

"Well that's a shame indeed...who was he? That skill with a sword...I don't think I've seen anything quite like it save for Miya-tan and Karasuba-tan..." She readjusted her glasses as they shifted lower on the bridge of her nose. Perhaps she should show the footage she got from the MBI satellite she had hacked into? Miya should probably find out about this individual's existence, for while he posed no known threat to Sekirei, the small show of skills still meant he was dangerous to some degree.

"Hmmm...if nothing else, he would serve as an excellent test subject...I hope he looks extra sexy out of those clothes...they covered everything!" A lecherous chuckle left her throat. A knocking on her wall surprised her from her thoughts.

"Matsu, lunch time." One of the other tenants of the boarding house called to her.

"Coming." Matsu would have to put her investigation on hold for now. Her stomach growled as if to agree.

Within the Botanical Gardens, Jirou was able to come across some apple trees bearing their fruit. He took three of the most ripened ones. He had spotted a small running source of water nearby under a small bridge of stone in a clearing within the forest though much foliage was covering it's surface. He washed his hands and the apples in the running stream and filled a water sack in the supply kit that made up the inner side of his leather armor, before taking cover under a pine tree that provided a decent amount of cover from being on the ground out in the open for too long. He cut open the apples using his tantou, and removed the metal face mask attached around his face by undoing a thick cord tied around his neck. He cut the apples into small slices and ate them slowly to savor their sweetness. He cleaned his small blade before returning it to the side of his leg.

Once done eating and drinking of the water to rehydrate himself, Jirou dawned his full Shinobi gear once more and decided to laze for a few moments and meditate on what he knew and saw of this strange world. He hadn't gotten far as his senses picked up a rather strong but compacted aura of power. It wasn't anything he had felt before, though the power boarded on the supernatural like that of the Yuki Onna he wagered. He felt no malice though, on the contrary, the person was sad and lonely. Jirou tilled the soil with a kunai and planted the apple seeds and covering them up under the soil before pouring the remaining contents of water upon them before slipping his water sack where it belonged.

'Something powerful is nearby. I should investigate.' Jirou proceeded with the utmost stealth and caution. He noted that the trees became even more dense the closer he got to this presence, granted the plant life was pretty dense all around, and he caught the remains of other structures about which he assumed were man made. This strange time had shown him various things already of which he had little understanding of.

He was rather surprised to catch sight of a little girl who appeared to be sleeping in a large tree. She must have been plagued with nightmares however, for she cried and bawled into her tiny fists. She wore a sun dress of white upon her small frame, her hair a pale color of gold that was almost longer than she was tall. The small child, no matter how Human she appeared was not Human. It puzzled him, for she was not a monster like the Youkai Yuki Onna. She was powerful yes, but she was not intently evil or insidious. He decided it best to wake her from her nightmares.

"Little one, wake up." He called gently, having sprung up the tall tree with ease thanks to his spider walk. He gently shook her shoulder. She awoke with a cute yawn, but as her eyes adjusted she could only stare in fear of the masked figure hovering over her. He placed a gloved hand upon her head, ruffling the curls of her hair, his other hand holding her close lest she backpedal and end up falling from the tree.

"Shhh...be at ease little one. I will not harm you." He spoke gently. Her ragged breathing began to calm significantly. She took sight of the hooded man before her. His fearsome outward appearance from his gear was softened in her view as she looked into his gentle eyes, though they were still quite well hidden in the darkness of the hood. He noticed that her eyes were green, like the vibrant leaves. They gazed at him with utmost curiosity now. Her small hands went to the mask shielding his face from view. His much larger hands intercepted, clasping them gently but firmly.

"How is it that you came to be out here? Have you no family to return to?" To her ears, his voice was somewhat archaic for his accent was a bit strange to her. But his voice sounded rich and pleasant.

"K...Kuu...Kuusano is all alone now. Onii-chan had to leave too." She spoke in a small voice.

"So your name is Kuusano? It is a lovely name. Do you know where your brother has gone?" He asked. The girl shook her head. Jirou pondered in silence, wondering what he should do. He did not want to leave this girl alone here, but unfortunately, he doubted he could be much help for her as he knew little of this world himself.

"What is your brother's name?" He asked after a moment.

"Shiina. Shiina onii-chan." Kuusano responded.

"I see...but I am a foreigner...that is, I live far away. I'm deeply sorry Kuusano. I will look around but I cannot promise that I can find him. Can you tell me what he looks like? Is there somewhere safer you can stay? I could not take you with me for long..." Jirou rose to a stand. Judging by the shadow cast from the trees, it was a little past 1PM Jirou wagered. Seeing him rise, Kuusano hugged him tightly.

"Wait, onii-chan...please don't leave Kuu all alone!" She pleaded. The aura surrounding Jirou comforted her, and she didn't want to part from him at all. It was out of impulse, but she felt innately safe when he was here by her side.

"Kuu...Kuu-chan, the path I walk is in darkness. I can escort you to where you live but do little else. Please try to understand." He embraced the girl. Having played with the children of his village from time to time, he knew well that it was not their time to become adults who tread the dark life of the Ninja or tread the lighter side as civilians and merchants. Kuusano was so young, that he doubted she could journey with him for long. He wanted her to go to her normal life but could sense that her life so far must not be much normal either. A sad fate for one so young.

"Onii-chan...please..." Kuusano was beginning to cry, but Jirou dried those tears.

"Listen, I will take you someplace safe. After that, you must wait like a good girl and I will try and bring your brother back. You can travel with me while we look for a place or possibly meet your brother, but that is how it must be." His tone was still gentle, but firm. Kuusano wanted to cry further, but knew deep down that his word was final. She could not bring herself to hate his decision further, for his calm seemed to leak into her own being. He smelled distinctly of nature, and treated it with utmost respect. She could feel these things swirling in the mysterious man who held her. She realized that she had no physical name to call him by, having instinctively called him her older brother.

"Who are you, onii-chan?" She decided to remedy that. Not seeing that any real harm could come of the child knowing him by name, he offered it.

"Jirou." He used his chain to cover more ground as he instructed her to hold on tight to him. She screamed in both terror and excitement as they began to move from tree to tree at dizzying speeds. Jirou had to calm her down and explained that she had to keep quiet so as to not draw attention. It took her a few more times, but she was able to keep her excitement bottled in, but her eyes sparkled and gleamed. Though she was a bit curious as to why he chose to stay up high rather than walk the ground like normal people. Though at the same time she couldn't think on it for long, because it was infinitely more fun to move about the city in the manner Jirou was.

Maison Izumo, North area of Shintou Teitou

Matsu had finally caught sight of the Shinobi once more on her computer screens.

"Wait...what!" Matsu saw that he carried a child with him, but not just any child either. Scanning the girl's face allowed Matsu to identify her.

"The last Sekirei. #108 Kuusano...I'm surprised he was really able to find her at the Botanical Gardens, after the freak growth of the plant life there. Could they have...my, I didn't know he swung that way. Having a weakness for little girls, eh?" She chuckled slightly, but became serious again so she could analyze some other things.

"Strange though, there was no detection of a Sekirei being winged so what's going on? But wait...he's coming closer here isn't he? What's he up to?" Matsu could only speculate. A shiver ran down her spine, seeing that the man was just one building shy of the front of Maison Izumo. He seemed to conclude it as a place for board. She also noticed Miya was just shy of the porch, sweeping the path with a broom.

"Oh crap! I forgot to tell Miya-tan about that guy due to all the delicious food. But maybe this will turn out for the better. How will she react? I must study this in depth!" She giggled. Miya was already keen on her two strange guests. She could feel them, but she chose to act aloof for the time being. She felt no malice from either presence, but one of them knew the art of killing, and she could sense the blood of more than a thousand slain upon him. This person was highly skilled, this much she knew. Nor was this person a Sekirei, which admittedly baffled her.

'This person...he has shed as much blood as myself and Karasuba...yet is completely a Human. I can't jump to hasty conclusions, for there is no ill will bared to this place...but it's still a bit unsettling...' Miya pondered, not daring to gaze up to the spot where she was sure the two people were. Jirou was having his own thoughts.

'That woman...she is like this child to an extent...but far more dangerous." He took her appearance in from his vantage point as best he could.

"She knows the way of the sword and is no stranger to the killing arts. She is likely aware that we are here already...is it wise to leave Kuusano with her? It may come to be a shock I'm sure but...I've little choice. It is much quieter her as well. More pristine. I guess I will need to take my chances...if I'm reading her wrongly and she does mean any harm, I will take Kuusano and flee.' Jirou hopped down to the front of the yard, soundlessly. Miya's back was to him.

"Ma'am, may I trouble you for but a moment?" Jirou spoke calmly but firmly, placing Kuusano gently on her feet. Seeing the woman up close as she turned to gaze at the two newcomers, Jirou could agree that her beauty was striking. She wore clothing of which he was used to seeing, a white hoari jacket and a violet pair of hakama that nearly matched her long hair in hue and were held upon her slim waist by her obi. Jirou remained crouched down in a gesture of respect, awaiting her response.

"Oh my...I hadn't even heard the gates open. Who might you two be?" Miya graced them with a pleasant smile.

"This child requires a place where she may be cared for. She has been separated from her brother, and I will attempt to locate him. Ma'am, could you get me in contact with the owner of this establishment? Can you also inquire if the owner possesses a map of this location and the surrounding areas?" Jirou knew that having a map was a must if he didn't want to scale the strange mountains blindly without a guide to tell him he was going in circles.

"You are talking to the owner of this establishment, sir. As for a map, I've nothing physically around the inn. You don't have a cellphone to aid you?" She inquired as she made her way closer to the two. She caught the sight of his eyes under his mask, seeing the confusion within them for but a second before his eyes disappeared from view as he lowered his head in thought.

"Cell...phone?" Jirou did not know what a cellphone was. He didn't even know what one looked like. Even Kuusano looked at him in some bewilderment. Even though only a child she was aware of what a cellphone was for she had seen her Adjuster use it from time to time. She knew her Jirou onii-chan said that he wasn't from around here, but she thought almost everyone had one of those marvelous devices or at least knew of them. A delicate eye brow on Miya's face arched upward slightly.

"You don't know what a cellphone is?" She asked after a moment. Jirou shook his head. There was no use in lying, for he honestly had not a single clue to what she was speaking of.

"I don't. This cellphone you speak of, how can it aid me instead of a map?" Jirou spoke curtly. Not knowing what it was they were talking about, he knew of nothing else to say. Miya was also unsure of how to actually proceed herself. The man sounded like he was perhaps in his late twenties, but to not know what a cell phone was, even the slightest inkling could only mean two things. He either was living under a rock for most of his life, or he was suffering an extreme case of amnesia. She would soon find out that neither was the case. After a moment, Miya decided that it ought to be up to the most technologically capable individual living under her roof who should aid him. Besides, Matsu stayed in her hidden room all too often except for certain times. Might as well make herself more useful than running up the electric bill so high.

"One of my tenants can aid you better than I. Oh, I've forgotten my manners though. I'm the landlady to Maison Izumo, Asama, Miya." She took hold of Kuusano and cradled the fragile girl in her arms. The little girl yawned cutely, snuggling into Miya's warmth.

"My, you are a cute child. What is your name little one?" Miya cooed to her.

"Kuusano." She wrapped her small arms around Miya's neck.

"Jirou onii-chan. Please come." Kuusano called to the Shinobi, seeing that he wasn't following Miya into the inn. Jirou could sense other formidable powers laying within the boarding house, but it was Miya who was strongest amongst them. He was unsure if this was perhaps a front for a stronghold of powered beings such as Miya and Kuusano. After a moment of reflecting, Jirou decided that he had little choice but to gain their aid further. He knew this world too little. It would be foolish to go about headlong into danger without being armed with more information about just where he was to begin with. Miya and the others seemed friendly enough judging by the auras, though he had yet to physically meet any others.

"So your name is Jirou?" Miya inquired. Jirou nodded, before sparing a deep bow in her direction. In order to overcome his ordeal, he must adapt. There was no other way at this point he decided.

"Yes ma'am, I am Musashi, Jirou. We are in your hospitality. Thank you very much for this." He said. He followed her into the common area where Miya removed her tabi and placed them by the door step. Jirou did the same, he being led to the dining room where Miya sat Kuusano down, who took hold of Jirou's hand so he would sit with her, which he did.

"If you will excuse me for a moment." Miya excused herself before leaving, Jirou sure she was going to fetch the person who could aid him. He heard her footsteps go up the wooden stairway. His muscles were taut for he could feel as if he were being watched quite intimately yet could spy no one in view.

This left him on edge. Kuusano seemed unaware though and hummed a wordless tune as she clapped her hands around Jirou's own. Out of the goodness of his heart would he help the child, but he knew that he had to find his way back to his village if it was possible.

He gazed upon a small calendar hanging on the wall, and took a sharp intake of breath in surprise. He stood up quickly in one fluid motion, his hand removed from Kuusano's grip gently as she watched him move to the said object in curiosity, wondering what he found so interesting.

'2020...impossible! I've...I've been propelled through time? 764 years into the future...this is the future of Japan?' He turned to Kuusano, hoping for affirmation.

"Kuu-chan...this is the year 2020 A.D.?" He spoke in a soft voice, laced with bewilderment. He heard two sets of footsteps coming down the stairs now. Miya had returned with a woman of roughly the same height as her with long red hair and spectacles.

"Is something the matter Jirou-san? You seem tense." Miya observed.

"I'm not sure if you will believe me, for I can hardly believe it myself. I'm...not from this time. I hail nearly 800 years in the past...a great disaster almost killed me but I was able to protect myself. However it happened, I...tell me, is this Kyoto, Japan in the year 2020?" Jirou's fists tightened. It was the red head who responded.

"Sorry, this is Shintou Teitou, the capital. Formally it was known as Tokyo. Kyoto has not been the main capital for some time. Though it shared a status as the Imperial capital for a small while back in the late 1800's if I remember it correctly." Matsu explained. Normally she would take the time to balk at Jirou's words but he spoke them with such serious conviction that she could only surmised he was either telling the truth or mentally unstable. Though a man having traveled through time against his will wasn't so much stranger than a group of aliens like the Sekirei living in the capital.

"Shintou...Teitou? I see..." Jirou's mouth felt dry, his throat parched. He truly felt alone. His fellow villagers and comrades, his friend and master, and his wife...even were they to have somehow survived that destruction, they could not have lived long enough to even have an inkling of comprehension of where they were. Unless...what if some of the more experienced Shinobi had also used their Ninjutsu abilities to survive as well? Could they be stranded somewhere within the city? He was not one to usually be so distracted with his thoughts, but the information swirled like a torrent of inky darkness and murky water.

"Jirou-san...Jirou-san! Hey!" Matsu was snapping her fingers in front of his face to elicit a response. The Shinobi cleared his head of his lingering thoughts.

"Sorry...there is a lot to take in it would seem..." He apologized.

"Hey, it's okay. But I've got to ask how you were able to deflect all those bullets when those soldiers tried to get to you." Matsu said. Miya placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hold it Matsu. Jirou-san has likely no idea what your talking about. I think we may need to bring him up to speed about some of the changes in time. If you are truly from 800 years in the past...you were from around the 1200's then?" Miya would take the information in stride, for nothing in Jirou's aura pointed to even the slightest inkling of deceit. And while Matsu was trying to snap Jirou out of his deep thoughts, she had mentioned how Jirou seemed to appear as if from nowhere, surrounded in a ball of fire not unlike a meteor.

Both Matsu and MBI seemed to hold an interest in the sudden phenomenon, only to realize that it was Jirou that emerged from that fire. They started to explain some things to Jirou in slow even tones, trying to allow his brain to process the jump in technology from those times long ago. Jirou was an apt learner and caught on very well, but after about two hours of talking he bid them to take a break for both their sakes. His head was pounding while the other two older females let out small sighs, finding it quite taxing to explain so many things in detail. Jirou had a better comprehension of this world he was in, or rather, he was still in the same world but in quite deep of Japan's future.

"You said that I came out of...a meteorite, correct? Did something similar happen anywhere else around the city?" Jirou clenched his hands into fists as the remained upon his thighs since he sat in a traditional seiza stance, exactly as Miya was across the table from him.

"Nope. You were the only one to appear out here in Shintou Teitou. I had a bird's eye view of the city thanks to hacking into one of the satellites in space. Nothing else appeared. Why, should something have?" Matsu looked curiously at Jirou. The Shinobi let out a feint sigh of resignation. So he could only assume he was the only survivor of his time to be here. He decided to address another problem.

"No, I suppose not. Was it you then, Matsu-san...the feelings of being watched, that was from this bird's eye view ability you possess, correct? Even within the walls of this house I had felt that I was being spied upon." He stopped speaking to await her response. Matsu looked genuinely freaked out about that for a moment, for his voice had taken a hard edge to it's tone.

"Whoa...so all that time you knew you were being watched? But that's impossible! Er..." She was silenced by the stern gaze as their eyes met.

"It would behoove you to desist such things. At least within these walls. Do you spy on other tenants here?" The question was blunt. The flushing of Matsu's cheeks told Jirou what he needed to know.

"Well that puts a damper on things..." Matsu skulked, but her dour expression soon turned frightful. She half expected a Hannya Mask to be projected at her, something she was used to from her landlady, Miya. When ever she was caught doing something she wasn't suppose to. The angle of which Jirou gazed at her made his visage seem monstrous to some degree, his eyes seeming to lack pupils and look akin to a demon's. It had the intimidating effect Matsu would get from Miya all the same.

"Regardless...can you show me this bird's eye view? It may allow us to find Kuusano's brother. She said his name was Shiina." He turned to the girl at his side and looking away gave Matsu some reprieve, but Kuusano had fallen asleep, clutching at the end of the long scarlet scarf he wore around his neck. Though her face was not contorted from nightmares any longer, but held a serene quality, dreaming pleasant dreams.

To Be Continued...


	3. Chapter 3

Super Shinobi X(Cross):

The Story #1

Disclaimer: Characters from Shinobi series and Sekirei series are the rightful property of their respective owners.

Note: Once again, thanks for the support. To TheLastNanaya, Jirou is based from his role as the main character of (for now) the most current Shinobi Game that was released late 2011 for the 3DS. I've taken a lot of liberties to his personality and background since it is not given much depth within the game itself except that he is friends with the Shadow Master and the father of the original Shinobi main character, Joe Musashi.

Chapter 3

Maison Izumo, in the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

Jirou took hold of Kuusano with utmost gentleness. He gazed towards Miya, wanting to ask if the girl could be put in a room for now. Miya had already risen to her feet and gestured for him to follow her. Kuusano was laid in a futon that Miya had unfolded on the floor, watching Jirou as he put the girl down softly and tucked her in.

"I suppose you have no currency to maintain Kuu-chan's board here, or your own for that matter. I will allow you both to stay here tonight for I do not turn away those in need. We will discuss payments tomorrow and aid you in finding a paying job. That being said, there are a few rules that I have for tenants under my roof." Miya explained. Jirou nodded in understanding but put no further response forth. Miya took stock of Jirou's movements as he exited the room, allowing her to close the door. His steps elicited so little noise, she had to strain to hear them. Not even the floorboards seem to squeak nearly as much when he tread over them in a brisk but casual walk. She wagered he was even quieter that herself, and wondered if that was an abstract talent he developed or gained as a Ninja.

"Those who stay in Maison Izumo are not to engage in violent or obscene acts of any sort. Those who break these rules and still wish to remain shall be dealt with an appropriate punishment by my own hand. Do you accept these terms?" After she said that, she was again given a nod of understanding.

"I do." He spoke, but his voice seemed distracted, most likely still piecing things together that he knew of his current situation.

"Jirou-san, may I ask a question?" She asked before he could make it completely through the hidden door that led to Matsu's secret abode. He turned his head to her.

"Yes?" He asked, sparing a nod.

"I was just under the impression that Ninja tend to wear darker colors to blend in with darkness easier. Yet you wear nearly all white. Why is that? Is it just a custom of your clan?" She spoke further. He had spared some details about his clan, though not much. As he had no village to go back to as of yet if ever again, he spared a portion more in depth information to her and Matsu for the Ninja code that bound him to keep the secrets of the Village to his grave was null in this time. Matsu had run a search on a device in her room she called a computer, finding almost no evidence that an Oboro Clan even existed back in 1256 A.D. Jirou could understand that since the explosion was big enough to reach his location from where it began at his village. Combined with the fact that a Ninja village would be kept from the attention of the public eye in those times, few if any beside other Ninja clans knew of each other's existence.

Even were he to find a way back, which he knew was slim, Miya and the others would not exist yet, so no secret could be let out. He doubted Miya would tell another living soul the information for she was sincere. Jirou was thankful of that aspect of her personality.

"They are the standard issue gear for our clan when we are inside the village walls and mainly used in sessions of training. For missions outside of the village we wear the traditional black uniforms you know them as. The rest of the equipment is the same regardless, however. Does that answer your question, landlady?" He explained. Miya smiled and nodded.

"Thank you. I hope you meet success finding Kuu-chan's brother." She spoke before heading down the stairs, glad to have gotten him to speak a bit more that just a few words as he was still apprehensive of this time he stumbled upon. He had a pleasant voice to her ears. She felt that were she in a similar circumstance to Jirou's own, she might respond in a like manner. Jirou entered Matsu's living quarters, his eyes going wide upon seeing the technology involved to make such a thing as her computer. He had been putting Kuusano to bed while Matsu had looked up her information about his village, so he hadn't seen the actual device she used, taking her at her word for she was speaking the truth from searching it on what she called databases which were explained as libraries of sorts without the need for physical books or scrolls to be around. He had been told, but seeing was truly believing.

"There you are Jirou-san. I've already started a search now for Kuu-chan's brother your trying to find. We should be getting some results in a few minutes." Matsu spoke to him, sitting on some cushions in front of the plethora of computer screens. She offered a coy smile, trying to make it seem only somewhat more innocent than it appeared. But Jirou knew better. He could sense in her the emotions that called her to want to learn all she could of him in mainly the physical sense. He would not falter though. His wife was dead in this time, but he hadn't had any time to grieve her loss or the others from his village, for he had been plunged into this world with only marginal time to adjust so far. He would help Kuusano reunite with her brother. It allowed him to be distracted from the painful memories. He was brought from his reverie by Matsu.

"Aha! We got some...wait, what?!" Matsu gasped in surprise. Jirou took in the strange image on screen. He would question how they could get it so clear later, but for now he observed. Two teenagers, one a girl with short cut black hair and wearing a strange uniform of a white blouse and cross patterned tie and a black skirt that clung to her petite frame had just smacked her lips suddenly with a feminine looking individual dressed in even stranger garbs of mainly white but with black ribbons and trim, and possessed soft shoulder length hair of silver. What caught Jirou's attention the most was the strange flash of light that appeared behind the light haired one for a brief moment.

'What is that...? Wings of light? Strange.' Jirou pondered, his gaze turning towards the back of Matsu's head and waiting for an explanation. On Matsu's part, she was not sure what to say. The Sekirei Plan called for secrecy from those who were not involved in it. Jirou had no Sekirei winged to him, though Kuusano would have counted had he allowed it. But he was still in the dark about it. The red head let out a sudden squeak as the tip of a kunai was at her throat, Jirou's free hand grabbing a fistful of her hair.

"You are trying to keep something from me. What was that...that phenomenon? That person gained wings of some sort. What holds your tongue to reveal it to me? Answer." Jirou was firm in his words. Matsu dared to look at his eyes as he stepped closer to her and drew her neck more firmly against the bladed weapon. They were like the demon eyes she witnessed from him earlier, but they seemed to gain a colder quality to them then the first time. She knew he could kill her easily from what footage she had seen of him.

Shameful perhaps for Sekirei were physically superior to Humans to some degree, but Jirou was not ordinary for a Human, for he was born in a time of constant strife and was more battle hardened than even Miya or Karasuba both mental and physical. Such was quite a feat. Sekirei knew of the innately peaceful Humans of this era, but were not accustomed to someone like Jirou, which would make itself known in due time. Jirou narrowed his eyes, turning towards the doorway as someone popped her head in through the folds of curtains. Once again Matsu got reprieve from that demon gaze of his.

"Hey Matsu, I'm-whoa!" All Jirou saw was a young woman's face, her long chestnut colored hair done in a pony tail to one side. She barely caught sight of cold blue eyes of the man garbed in white.

"Uh, hey Uzume, this isn't what it looks like." Matsu's eyes told differently, a silent terror emanating from her eyes that was easily seen by the other girl even in the darkened room. She hadn't been introduced to Jirou yet but he was sure she was another one of the tenants since she had that inhuman aura like the others.

"Who are you, and why are you threatening Matsu like that?!" Uzume's expression was firm and serious. Jirou was unmoved. Miya's voice could be heard from outside.

"Ah, Uzume, your finally awake I see..." Miya began, Uzume's head disappearing from view in that moment when she heard Miya's voice.

"Oi, Miya-san, someone is trying to attack Matsu in her room!" The young woman called to the landlady. Miya stepped fully in the room briskly, Uzume trailing her. Uzume was another very pretty woman, sporting a tight fitting purple top with a gold star over her bust level and wore a pair of jeans rolled up just below knee high.

"Jirou-san..." Miya was a bit taken aback. Jirou's aura was perfectly masked from her senses, and she could not get even the slightest hint of what was going on in his mind. She could only assume he meant Matsu true physical harm. For a moment she thought of unleashing her threatening aura, which was usually projected in the minds of others as a gruesome Hannya mask, however, the sudden sight to Jirou's eyes might cause him to clench up in fear and accidentally harm Matsu for the kunai was to the point just before breaking the skin.

Jirou let out a soft sigh. Realizing that yes, perhaps it was uncalled for to threaten Matsu for hiding something like that which he was aware she knew about but had to keep secret. Everyone had at least one secret that they would rather keep to themselves. He removed the kunai from her neck and then gave a bow of respect towards the landlady.

"My apologies, landlady. I've broken one of your rules not even an hour after you've spared me the words. But...what I saw was something not easily performed by a Human in normal circumstances. Those wings of light... Matsu...nay, all of you know what it was. You are all like little Kuusano, so Human in appearance but not. What are you?" Jirou felt that the best course of action was just to come clean with some of their own heritage for now.

"Jirou-san, you can sense all that? Quite impressive indeed." Miya hid her surprise behind a smile. She was not sure how to proceed from here, finding it hard to believe that Jirou was the only Human not of this time who was able to deduce her as a another being entirely. She had kept the knowledge a closely guarded secret. She knew that luckily at least it happened to be a man like Jirou, who she believed would keep a secret to his grave if asked plainly.

"Wait, so you know we're not Human?" Matsu asked, getting a grip on her nerves. Jirou nodded.

"The appearance is near completely that of a Human's, but you simply are not. That is all I can deduce." He spared a response, though his posture was calm yet firm still, his his aura kept remaining guarded.

"Well...I guess that cat's out of the bag, or is it the bird's out of the cage? Well, whatever. You're right though, Jirou-san. We aren't Human. You haven't heard of Sekirei, have you?" Matsu stood up from her spot, deciding to come clean with Jirou about the Sekirei's existence.

"...you don't mean birds I wager?" He said after a pause. Matsu chuckled, followed by Miya and Uzume.

"Nope, not the birds. Though we are named after them, we Sekirei are an alien race that shares roughly a 99% physical similarity to Humans on a genetic level...that is to say, we are pretty alike with Humans." Matsu knew Jirou was far from dumb, but being from a time where genetics and DNA were not even known yet could have made him not understand what she was getting at.

"I see." Jirou affirmed after a moment. True, he didn't fully grasp it, but knew that there was a difference. For now that was all he needed to know.

"Well, let me go on. What you saw was a process where a Sekirei get's winged. The process occurs when they make a form of mucus membrane contact, er, we'll just say that when they kiss, the Sekirei is powered up for a time. When that happens, Sekirei will have their unique powers amplified beyond what they normally do and are made even more formidable. You see, Sekirei are overall stronger than most Humans on many levels." Matsu continued as she rewinds the footage Jirou saw a moment before, pausing where the girl kissed the Sekirei.

"The only problem we have now is that Shiina was winged by his new Ashikabi. Since that occurred, it's unlikely that he will be able to meet with Kuusano easily now. You see, Sekirei will react to their destined Ashikabi, sort of like a love at first sight kind of thing. Unlike the Sekirei, who mainly consist of attractive girls and guys, Ashikabi are near completely random on the scale of selection since they are ordinary Humans. Something unique within their genes causes Sekirei to react to their presence. The database pulled up that his Ashikabi is named Sahashi, Yukari." Matsu explained further pointing to the girl, identified as Yukari, and the Sekirei, who she identified as Shiina. Matsu knew of Yukari's last name that was shared by Takami Sahashi, one of MBI's top researchers and doctors. Jirou let out a small gasp of surprise.

"That boy looks as delicate as a flower...but I suppose I should not judge based off surface appearances since he is one of these Sekirei. Regardless, I am going to locate him and inform him of Kuu-chan's safety here if nothing else. This device you use...can you track them for me?" Jirou looked to Matsu.

"Well duh, I can track the entire city if I wanted to. Here, take my cellphone, Jirou-san. I'll be your eyes and ears here and lead you to them!" Matsu handed her cellphone to Jirou, who took it with an awkward hand as he inspected the strange device. Matsu explained some little details so Jirou could at least use it to hear her through it as she flipped the cellphone open. Jirou placed it close to his left shoulder where the front and back of his leather armor met. It fit there rather snugly and allowed Jirou to speak to her and keep his hands unimpeded. Jirou excused himself with a polite bow to the three female Sekirei and soundlessly left. Miya left after him.

"Jirou-san, I must ask you to keep the secret of Sekirei being known here, namely myself. Can you promise this of me?" She pulled hold of one wide sleeve of his uniform. She was a unique case, being something beyond Human and even other Sekirei. Jirou turned to face her. Her face was calm and austere, but he could feel her aura roiling with killer intent. In his mind's eye, a visage of a Hannya appeared behind her, eyes flashing with fearsome red light. Were he truly afraid or not, Miya did not glean any physical response of terror from him.

"It is not a secret I will reveal to any who you do not decide should have knowledge of it. I've no reason to betray your trust in me, landlady. Therefore, be at ease. It does you little justice to project killing intent upon me for I am well use to such things." He gazed into her eyes so that she could see plainly his intentions were pure and he respected her privacy. Miya nodded after a moment of locking gazes with his own. She could admit that it had been quite a long while since someone could both bare simple purity while obscuring all other facets of personality like Jirou did.

Some of it reminded her of her late husband, and she wondered if her cheeks might be just a hint flushed at the moment. The cool air grazed her face, and she realized her mind had wondered for but a second. That was all it took for Jirou to be out of her sight as she looked towards the open window, seeing his form rapidly shrink and merge with the horizon as the sun was making it's way down, ready to give way to night's cool embrace.

'An interesting man indeed.' She made her way downstairs as she regained her slight loss of composure for a moment. Dinner wasn't going to prepare itself after all. Meanwhile, Matsu turned towards her monitors and started to track Jirou's location relative to Shiina's and his Ashikabi, impressed by Jirou's agility. His acrobatics were amazing to watch from her bird's eye view.

"Jirou-san, stay straight ahead for now along the roof tops. You'll have to make a left in...say four buildings? I'll let you know exactly, just cover some ground, er, roof for now." The red head informed. Uzume was glancing suspiciously at her back.

"Aren't you being quite demure and friendly at the moment...unlike your usual perverted self?" She observed. Matsu ignored her, typing in something on her keyboard. Uzume shrugged.

"Maybe you're reacting to him, so you don't want to come on too strong...but that's so far from the Matsu I know. Well, maybe it can't be helped since he did attempt to threaten the secret about us out to you. Which you still gave him despite him not being an Ashikabi over any Sekirei at the moment." Uzume pressed on, seeing what Matsu would say.

"He is a unique individual, Uzume...but I'm not reacting to him. At least...not yet it seems. But I won't lie to you about one thing, I was really afraid for that moment...he would have truly killed me with the greatest of ease." Matsu's voice sounded small, Uzume rather surprised as the other Sekirei usually bounced back to her usual perky yet quirky self near instantly after most occasions. Matsu seemed to really have a healthy fear of Jirou, despite him being just a Human. Matsu continued to speak.

"Like he did to some of MBI soldiers earlier this morning. Here." Matsu had a head set on, but was holding her hand over the mike in order to prevent Jirou from hearing her words from his connection with her cellphone. Even single handed, she typed with blazing quickness. Uzume was stunned into silence as she witnessed how easily a Human like Jirou dispatched so many soldiers. They had the superior numbers on their side and guns, but Jirou was able to deflect their bullets with speed so quick it was like watching a blur of motion. As if he could read where they were shooting and aiming for on his person and reacting in kind all at once.

"What the...! I didn't know this guy was that strong! You sure he's Human?" Uzume murmured.

"I'll explain in further detail after I guide him to his destination." Matsu said after giving more directions to Jirou.

Apartment Complex, Yukari and Shiina's room

Shiina hadn't expected his Ashikabi to be someone so forceful like Yukari, but still she was so cute and perfect in his eyes, he could not help but blush at thoughts her dominating personality. It seemed as if they were two sides of a coin, and perhaps they were. Shiina was waiting outside by the small living room, blushing and thinking of Yukari naked just a hallway down where the bathroom was situated. The muffled sound of running water from the shower only intensified his feelings, though they were quickly cowed as a small knock was heard on the window of their small balcony. Startled, Shiina opened the blinds but found no trace of anyone out there and thought it the wind. He turned away, swaying back as he heard the knock again.

'Is my mind just playing tricks on me?' The youthful male Sekirei pondered, opening the sliding glass door and stepping out there. Though no one was nearby on the small fenced in structure. Not that there should have been since it was just him and Yukari.

"Man, Shiina, your losing it." He admonished himself.

"Shiina." A masculine voice halted the man in his tracks he swerved around, but could only gaze in astonishment. Still no one was out there.

"I've a message for you, Shiina. It regards your little sister, Kuusano." The voice spoke again, Shiina rushed outside, grip tight against the railing.

"Kuu-chan?! Where are you?! What have you done with her?!" He looked about frantically, wondering if he was losing it due to the stresses of this day. Coupled with over-protectiveness for his younger sister figure, his tone shown his aggravation.

"Calm yourself for she is safe. Maison Izumo, perhaps you've heard of it, perhaps not. Your little sister awaits you there if you wish to visit." The voice said. Shiina was puzzled, for the voice sounded as if it might be coming from under his feet. Shiina had been distracted as Yukari called out to him.

"Shiina, close the balcony window, your letting all the hot air out!" Shiina flushed as he caught sight of Yukari in a towel and drying her short hair. But he steeled his resolve, for important information was just passed to him.

"Yukari-chan, I'm not sure how, but I think I might know where the person I'm looking for is. Remember Kuusano, who I was telling you about?" He asked of her excitedly.

"Yeah, the little girl who is like your little sister figure. How did you find out though?" She asked curiously. Not really sure how she would take it if he said the floor of the balcony talked to him, he cut straight to the matter of things. It was easy enough to do in his excitement.

"We have to look up how to get to Maison Izumo. I know it's getting kind of late now, but could we go first thing tomorrow morning, Yukari-chan? Please?" He was practically begging her. Yukari chuckled.

"Sure we can, but remember, we're meeting my bro and his girlfriend tomorrow afternoon, and your going to stand there and look pretty. I still can't believe he just barely beat me to getting a significant other. It's like he's starting to get all the firsts after passing his entrance exam. Talk about lame!" While Yukari and Shiina conversed they did not catch sight of a Shinobi swinging from a chain hook from roof to roof away from their location.

"Matsu-san, I've informed Shiina. I will cut the connection with you for I believe I know how to get back to Maison Izumo on my own. And please could you halt your bird's eye view? It's a bit unnerving." Jirou questioned as he made his way to another roof.

"Yep, I don't need MBI knowing I'm lingering in control of one of their satellites, but just be aware that they can track you easily too if your out for too long. See you in a little while, Jirou-san! You can call me back by using the menu option and then the phone option. My name is on the top of the list. Call if you need help, otherwise, see you in a bit!" Matsu closed the connection as well. Jirou wasn't sure of all she meant in her conversation but figured he could understand in time, only recalling the satellites somewhat and MBI hardly at all, though he thought he remembered the initials on the uniforms of the soldiers he killed when he first came to this time. For now, he would make his way back to the inn. If Kuusano was awake, he would inform her that her brother was found and that they could possibly expect a visit tomorrow from the gist of conversation he got from Yukari and Shiina.

He had used his spider walk to keep himself perched upside down under the balcony so he would remain well hidden from Shiina's view. On his way back to Maison Izumo did he spot two figures upon the roof tops as well. He could feel that they were Sekirei and that one had amazing killer intent upon her and a lust for blood. The other was frightened enough that it was nearly palpable to Jirou. He spied on the two from the shadows, wondering why one was being hunted by the other. Perhaps it was a custom of their own? Jirou could not be sure, thinking perhaps he should call Matsu to verify.

"Why are you hunting me? I haven't even been winged by anyone yet. Please...spare me." One girl possessed form fitting clothing consisting of a green tunic and black pants which were nearly covered by light colored boots which went almost the full length of her legs and had the number 19 upon the sides. She wielded two swords in each gloved hand, the length of the blades showing them to be kodachi. Her eyes were frantic and pleading. Her blue hair was tussled naturally, but was matted by sweat and grime as she tried to fend off the aggressor. Said aggressor was well beyond the other in terms of power and skill. She wore a black kimono wrap under a long gray haori upon her shoulders. A nodachi, a particularly long curved sword was carried in her right hand. Her long silver hair was done up in a pony tail. Her smirk was slight but predatory, the blood lust in her gaze halting the other woman.

"Heh, it's just not your night. It could have been any one of the other 107 of our kind and they would have been in the same predicament you're in right now. I've gotta have my fun, ya know. Have to scratch that inch in me...the need to see blood." Her voice was pleasant and menacing all in one. Jirou perked up upon hearing this one crucial piece of info that Matsu had forgotten or withheld from him.

'Including herself, that would be 108 Sekirei in total. That's it? Humans outnumber them vastly...there is no contesting that. True they possess power that far exceeds a typical Human, but I doubt they could truly have enough power to kill no more than an eighth of the entire population at best with their low numbers.' He wasn't sure if he should make himself known, since he was already wandering the city for a good while already.

'I'm not one to interfere in another battle...but to go about killing another, when there is so few to begin with...' Jirou was having a conflicting interest. As far as population was concerned, for Sekirei to be killing each other off was calling for the death of their entire race in the span of perhaps four months at best. Assuming all other Sekirei did so, though Jirou could not know exactly how many at this time.

'Perhaps this night, it was her lucky one after all...' Jirou thought for a moment, his body coiled like a spring ready to propel forward but he kept his ground for now. As he expected, the black dressed Sekirei far outclassed the green dressed one, parrying a small flurry of strikes from the other and getting to her back and ready to plunge the nodachi right through the other's spine. Her blade missed it's mark, grazing the blue haired Sekirei in the shoulder. Her blade was being guarded by another, but not the blue haired Sekirei's own. To the dark dressed Sekirei, a curious man garbed nearly all in white had halted her. The blue haired Sekirei fell on her rear in surprise. The black clad Sekirei could only spare a slightly wider grin upon her visage.

"Well now, who might you be?" She responded coyly, impressed that she hadn't even felt this individual anywhere nearby until he had just appeared so suddenly.

To Be Continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Super Shinobi X(Cross):

The Story #1

Disclaimer: Characters from Shinobi series and Sekirei series are the rightful property of their respective owners.

Note: The updates for this story will probably slow down the remainder of this month and the next month. In the next chapter there will be about a two week time jump. The reason for this is because writing each and every day would make the pace of this story far too slow I believe.

I'm going to try and mention when time jumps occur, but just know that there won't be any insanely long one year and over time jumps unless there is good reason for it (which I don't see any), just anywhere from a week or two weeks at most usually.

Chapter 4

Rooftops of the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

The blue haired Sekirei could only gasp in surprise. The black clad Sekirei and the white clad Human had spared a few strikes from their weapons. Despite her superior physical strength and agility, she was being fended off still.

"You've got quite some skills there. I've been wanting to get a good look at your face before cleaving your head off, but it seems you can hold your own quite well against me. But how long can you hold out? Your just strong enough to redirect my sword from striking a vital point on your person. But you won't be able to keep it up." She smirked, resting her blade across her shoulder, challenging him silently to go on the offensive. Jirou remained as passive as always, not phased by her superior abilities.

"I can hold out just as long as you, despite what you may believe. You've not touched me for I have not allowed it. But can the same be said of yourself?" Jirou questioned, his offensive stance rearing up to his full height as he let his own blade rest parallel with his arm, his posture relaxed. As if to emphasize that point, she checked her own person. She hadn't realized, but she had been given a graze on her right shoulder that hadn't even registered much pain. Her smirk became a grin.

"What is this? A scratch at best, but your right...you've drawn first blood. Honestly, I didn't think just one little scratch could turn me on so much. Your not like one of those typical sacks of flesh that meander the streets. Maybe if you give me another I might grace you with my name. But it will be far more difficult, I assure you." She spoke in a breathy tone, licking her lips. Jirou was as stock still and calm as he usually was.

'There can be no peace if victory is your goal. Expect Nothing. Become Nothing.' Once more did the Shadow Master's words of wisdom grace Jirou's mind. It mattered little of her raw strength and talent, when he could telegraph all of her moves and know how to react before hand. Nothingness was considered meaningless, however, in that same nothingness were one to listen as carefully and deeply as he or she could, they would be greeted with the flash of insight and intuition.

Jirou was no stranger to this phenomenon, and it made things very difficult in the spars with the Shadow Master for he had employed it just as well and sometimes better than Jirou himself. The title of Shadow Master was not an empty one in the least. Jirou evaded and parried each strike as it came with what appeared the greatest of ease. When the black clad Sekirei tried to engage in a clash of blades to throw him off balance, he used her force against her, hopping back while his blade was a flash of motion much like her own. A few graceful black flips spread the distance between them.

"I suppose that graze on your forearm will suffice?" Jirou called to her as she turned to face him. His words made her look to her forearms and sure enough there was a small cut in her sleeve of her left hand, a small inkling of blood running down to her palm.

"Well, I'll be...so you've done it again. Very well. Karasuba." She licked the blood clean, her eyes seeming to shine more vividly as she tasted her own blood. She could admit few, even other Sekirei, could put up much of a contesting fight against her. The man before her was becoming more intriguing by the moment. Too bad he covered up so much of himself. They could pass by one another on the street and she would never know just exactly what he looked like.

"Karasuba? It's a fitting name. Next we meet, perhaps I will give you my name. Catch." Jirou threw a ball towards her in a casual manner. Not liking the finality in his tone she smacked the ball away, but it dispensed smoke in a small radius to obscure her view when she did that. Growling in annoyance for falling for such a simple little trick, Karasuba strode forward and swung her nodachi in a wide radius to disperse of the lingering smoke. Neither the other Sekirei who was her original prey or the Shinobi were in sight any longer.

"Well, damn...haven't gotten this worked up in a long time. Guess I was being a little too careless though. I underestimated him, thinking I could overpower him with strength alone." Karasuba muttered, a scowl on her face. It had all started out as fun and games but his interference left her with some things to think about and mull over.

'Someone that capable in combat...does Minaka know about him? He was dressed like a Ninja though his color was in poor taste. It's getting late and he already spoiled my fun for now.' She made her way to the end of the roof, sheathing her nodachi.

"Well my dear white Ninja, I do very much hope we will cross paths on another beautiful night. You'll be in my dreams I'm sure." She spoke to herself. She launched high into the sky, gone from view of Jirou and the blue haired Sekirei. He had used his spider walk to cling to the underside of the roof's lip, holding the Sekirei in one arm while the other stuck to the surface.

"Seems Sekirei can fly..." Jirou pondered aloud.

"No actually, but we can clear great distances in the span of a single powerful leap. She will have to land on another roof and jump again." The blue haired Sekirei informed him. Jirou nodded, then in one fluid motion he flipped the both of them back on solid ground as they now knelt on the rooftop once more.

"Thank you very much for saving me. I'm Ikki, Sekirei # 19." She offered a bow of her head at Jirou. Jirou copied the motion. The two stood up and separated from each other a respectable distance.

"Jirou. Do all Sekirei know their own number from the 108 in existence?" He questioned after offering his name. The Sekirei bore no ill will in her soul, and so Jirou decided to trust her with his name. Karasuba had been another matter and was an enemy who had frightful strength and speed. Jirou knew that even many of his fellow Shinobi and Kunoichi would have likely been killed. Few got to spar with the Shadow Master personally and learn even further the vast intricacies and wisdom parted by the most powerful Ninja of the Oboro clan.

"Yeah, I think so. It is a conjunction to our order born as well, and the lower the number the more powerful the Sekirei. The higher the number, the younger the Sekirei as well. I think the 108th Sekirei was the only child Sekirei left. Most of us are teenagers or adults in appearance by now." Ikki explained. Jirou pondered on her words.

'Could Kuusano be the #108 Sekirei then? She is a child still, so it may be very likely that they are one and the same.' Jirou turned away from Ikki, thinking of Kuusano.

"That other Sekirei was intent on ending your life despite not being winged by an Ashikabi as you put it. With your numbers so few, why does she want to fight to the death? It could mean extinction for your kind." Jirou said after a moment. He could sense nervousness in Ikki festering within her.

"You know quite a bit. You don't sound like your an Ashikabi though...if you were you wouldn't ask me that for you should have already known. Well, unfortunately, it's classified as top secret, and only a Sekirei and Ashikabi may bare the knowledge of why they must challenge and defeat others, killing the Sekirei in the process usually." Ikki put her hands together in worry. She wanted to tell him, but knew that it was against the rules. Jirou had decided not to push further as her worry was already becoming high enough. Though his thoughts lingered on interrogating her as he was outside the walls of Maison Izumo. He could find out the answers to his questions in other ways without bringing harm, he was sure. Plus he had stayed out for long enough.

"I see. I must be off then. You do have somewhere to stay tonight, correct? Perhaps our paths will cross in the future. Farewell." Jirou was about to make his way back towards Maison Izumo.

"Wait, Sir Jirou! I don't have anywhere to go. Is it alright if I could seek shelter with you tonight?" Ikki didn't want to sound pleading, but she didn't want to be left alone for easy pickings by any other Sekirei wandering about. It was unlikely as it was getting late, but the meeting with Karastuba and nearly having her life taken was enough to put a large fear within her. Jirou didn't respond immediately. He noted that her wound was healing already, much faster than a Human's. So Karatsuba was likely nearly fully healed then as well. He was sure that it would still take time the greater the damage done to the body. Sekirei were still able to be killed by conventional means like swords then, if both Ikki and Karatsuba wielded them in combat. A good thing to know.

"You will have to ask the landlady. I'm very new to the place myself, so I cannot vouch for you to her. It will have to be up to you. If you wish to come, then follow." Jirou fell from the roof, startling Ikki, she saw him using a grappling chain to traverse from one roof to another. Ikki began to jump after him, seeing as he wasn't dissuading her. When the two made it to Maison Izumo, the entire complex was dark save for a light in front of the porch. Jirou leaped down to the ground level, opening the door, Ikki not far behind. Miya was in the entryway to greet them.

"Good evening Jirou-san. I see you've brought another guest here." Miya looked towards Ikki.

"She was being attacked by a person named Karasuba. Had I not interfered, this Karasuba would have surely killed her. Her name is Ikki. I informed her it would be you who decides if she should stay here or not. I apologize for not getting prior validation for bringing another person." Jirou explained softly while offering a bow of respect, though noting that Miya's stare became hard fixed upon him when he mentioned the black clad Sekirei. It seems they had some history.

"You were able to fend her off?" Miya asked curiously. Few could contend with Karasuba in physical combat, yet Jirou was here unscathed and the victim Ikki was alive and well just as he was. Jirou just nodded in response, removing his scarf from his neck. It had been a long day, and Jirou had been in constant motion physically and mentally. His shoulders had a slight sag showing his fatigue, He then removed his sheathed weapon from it's place on his back, making his way up the stairs as he wanted to check on Kuusano briefly before retiring for the night.

"Did Kuu-chan ever wake, landlady?" He asked. Miya spared a brief smile, having been curious on asking him about Karatsuba but knew it could give her away in front of Ikki. The Landlady knew that only a handful of people knew her true reputation, even among Sekirei.

"She was. I've put her back to bed perhaps no more than an hour ago. I've saved a plate of food for you if you wish to eat it." Miya informed him.

"I see. Can you grab a spare plate for her so I may split my meal? Once you show me my quarters, may I eat there this night? I wish to retire shortly after if there is nothing else I am needed for." Jirou said as he made his way upstairs towards Kuusano's room upon seeing Miya nod the affirmative and gestured for Ikki to follow her towards the kitchen. Jirou opened the door soundlessly and saw the small form of Kuusano sleeping in her futon, then closed the door softly to leave her to rest. Meanwhile Miya had been talking to Ikki after scraping half of Jirou's dinner onto the other Sekirei's plate.

"From the gist of things, I suppose you will be needing shelter here as well then?" The landlady asked after a moment.

"Yes, landlady. I'm sorry I showed up so late at night on your doorstep, but I didn't want to be running out alone." The blue haired Sekirei said right back, bowing her head low in respect.

"I have adopted quite closely to the philosophy of not turning away those who are in need of assistance. We can discuss methods of payment tomorrow some time. I will need to show you and Jirou-san to your respective rooms. I'll allow you to eat up in your rooms for just this night, but after any other time you miss dinner you must eat here in the kitchen. Do you understand also, Jirou-san?" Miya turned to the Shinobi as he stepped into the kitchen.

"Understood." He said, accepting the plate of food Miya placed in his hands. She led them upstairs while explaining the rules of the inn to Ikki and gave them different rooms, Ikki staying in the room next to Kuusano's while Jirou's was across the hall opposite her's.

"Good night, Jirou-san, Ikki-san." Miya offered with a curt bow to them. They mimicked the gesture.

"Goodnight landlady."

The next morning, Maison Izumo, in the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

Miya had been watering the flowers in her backyard. She thought she was the first one up, but she noticed Jirou coming down the stairs. He was adorned in all white, his armor not having been put on, but his ninjatou was sheathed and carried in his right hand. He spared a polite bow to the landlady and she returned it. His face was still obscured by the hood covering nearly all his face save for a prominent chin.

"Good morning, landlady. That's an interesting device." He gestured towards the hose in her arms that was spraying water.

"Good morning Jirou-san, and it's called a hose. When turned on it sprays water from the open end. Did you sleep well?" She inquired, going about watering the flowers further back. Jirou went towards her, observing her work.

"Yes. You've done amazing work tending to this place. I can feel the cherished love and caring that was devoted here. I know you very little, but this I do, landlady. Is there any way I can assist you?" He gazed at the hose, seeing that it went back towards a coiled portion of itself further back by the side of the inn. To him it seemed like a long snake with it's head cut off.

"No, I'm just about done. Could you go to the facet and turn off the water? It's an x shaped piece on top that you turn to the right until you hear no water flowing through the hose." Heeding her words, Jirou was able to turn off the water and she began to coil the hose back in place. Jirou watched her intently, trying to put the knowledge away for later use. His own wife had tended to a garden at their own residence in his original time. True she did not have such a convenient device as a hose, but the love and care she put into it was the same as Miya's own. Jirou hadn't always had time since his Ninja duties came first, but he would come to aid his wife in tending the garden with her when ever possible.

"Jirou-san, must you always wear that hood?" Miya had been calling to him a few times, and Jirou realized he had been caught up thinking about his deceased wife. He shook his head.

"No, but I've no other clothing other than the uniform on my back." He said. That was true enough, since he had only been in this time for about a day and a quarter at best.

"May I?" Miya brought her hands up near his hood. After a moment, Jirou nodded, allowing her to pull back the hood. She smiled prettily upon gazing at his face. He was handsome in a rugged sense, his hair cut short in order to reduce itchiness while he wore the hood of his uniform. His eyes were closed, as if reminiscing about something. After a moment he spoke to her, feeling at ease with Miya.

"Few people have seen my actual face. I'm sorry if this sounds strange...my wife would greet me at the entryway of our home and do what you did once I removed the mask from my mouth. It always amazed me how she would always be there to welcome me back even were I gone for days on a mission and she hadn't received word of my arrival back. She told me that she would always await my return. I..." Jirou wasn't sure what more to say, his eyes yet to open. Even though his voice was guarded, there was no mistaking the pain of failing to protect his wife.

"That explosion that struck your village and sent you through time...I apologize Jirou-san...I did not mean to drag up painful memories. I know how you feel...I too was once married. I have not yet fully healed from the anguish of losing my husband though the pain has lessen a bit with time. He was the first to ever make me laugh and smile. He taught me how precious a life is and how easily it is taken away. The philosophy I spoke of last night about not turning away those in need of help, was one I adopted from him. I..." Her vision misted over, old and familiar pains seeping into her soul. Jirou placed his hands atop her own, which still rested along his neck, fists wrapped in the fabric of the hood.

"So we are two of a kind in that regard. I saw that large tree from my window and wanted to meditate under it. There was a strong pine in our yard much like that one so I wanted to pray for the souls of my village lost to that explosion. Would you like to join me, if only for a moment?" He offered, his eyes opening to take in Miya's own. She felt as if she had found a true kindred spirit as she gazed into Jirou's eyes.

"I pray at my husband's shrine everyday after first watering the garden and preparing breakfast so I may present a small bowl of rice to him. Could you wait just a moment longer? I would like it very much if we prayed for our departed loved ones together." Miya insisted. Jirou nodded. He was not the greatest in helping with cooking, but he did aid Miya by setting up the table with the proper utensils. She noted that Jirou was keen on helping out with housework, perhaps a routine he and his departed wife shared together, for she felt his aura at ease.

The usual tenants knew the meals like a ritual and knew when to show up. Kuusano and Ikki would not however. Jirou offered to wake Kuusano and Ikki and inform them. He woke up Ikki first since she was easier to get up. She had been a bit startled at first, not used to seeing Jirou's face, but then yawned and bid Jirou a good morning before making her way downstairs. Kuusano needed more prompting, though Jirou already was accustomed to children since his wife help baby sit other children as she had none of her own. Jirou willed the painful thoughts away.

"Kuu-chan...Kuu-chan..." He nudged the child softly, much as he had when they first met. Kuusano was similarly startled by the lack of a mask on Jirou's face.

"Jirou-onii?" She placed her tiny hands upon his cheeks. He offered a soft smile.

"Breakfast will be ready soon. I also have some good news, Kuu-chan. I found your brother." Saying those words to her made Kuusano instantly waken, her eyes nearly glowing with sparkling joy. Jirou rose to his feet and offered his hand to the child, leading her downstairs. He had known there were others living here, and Uzume and Matsu were instantly recognizable as they sat across Ikki and a person that Jirou did not know by name. He was not unlike Shiina in a sense, his aura informing Jirou he was a male Sekirei and thus had a somewhat feminine beauty to his appearance, though at least he seemed decently more masculine in nature when compared with said Shiina.

"Hello there. You must be that new tenant, Jirou. The name's Kagari. Nice to meet you." Kagari said with a small wave of his hand. He wore a strange white shirt with some kind of flaps around the neck. Jirou would learn it was merely called a collared shirt. His silver hair was somewhat similar in hue to Shiina's own. Something in his aura was in a constant flux, which was unlike other Sekirei he had met so far. He pondered if it was a unique circumstance of his or not. Seeing as the flux didn't seem to be doing any outward harm to the male Sekirei's body, Jirou did not bring it up and he greeted the man with a polite bow.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kagari-san." He said.

"Whoa, so you finally took off the creepy red mask of yours. I have to admit you look a whole lot better without them on you." Uzume mentioned and chuckled slightly.

'Finally? I've only been here for a day...though I suppose I was wearing it over my face for a very long time...' Jirou pondered to himself, simply greeted her and Matsu with a nod to acknowledge them. He sat Kuusano next to Matsu and then sat next to the child Sekirei. He could feel furtive glances from Matsu, but ignored them for now. She seemed intent on studying him to a large degree beyond what he would consider normal and healthy. He would not voice such though out of respect for he knew her very little himself to judge her prematurely.

Still, she did seem more maturely observant of him rather than the more crazed perverted look and feel she had before. She had realized that Jirou was definitely someone who would not helplessly let himself or others be abused or bullied into situations that belittle them. Everyone must be respectful and respected. Breakfast had been a light airy affair, the tenants talking amongst each other.

"So Jirou-san, where are you from? You dress quite traditionally here in Shintou Teitou. Is that simply a preference like the landlady?" Kagari asked. He had known of Jirou's name, but not the circumstances of how he appeared here. As he had gotten back to the inn rather early in the morning from being out all night, he had yet to hear the full story out of Miya or Matsu, only hearing that they had new tenants here and the only other male now besides Kagari by the name of Jirou. Miya had decided to remedy that quick.

"Oh, Kagari-kun, I'm sorry for not elaborating to you, but Jirou-san is here under special circumstances. Actually I hadn't even told Uzume-san yet either...though it is rare of you to be up and about quite this early." Miya observed. Uzume spared a cheeky grin.

"I got the full scoop from Matsu. I'll admit it seems kind of out there, but I can't be one to judge." She said. Kagari saw that he was left in the dark then. Once Jirou explained how he came to be here, Kagari's eyes narrowed.

"I see...that is quite a tale. That's a shame to hear what happened to your village." Kagari said, though deep down he realized now that this was the person he had been informed of from his link with Takami to be on the look out for. He saw the video of the meteorite that turned out to be Jirou, and of the skill he displayed with deflecting the MBI soldier's bullets. Such a feat would require great skill for a Human, while Sekirei could use their powers to stop bullets but not with the grace and finesse Jirou had.

Kagari wondered if he should let Takami know that Jirou was here and thus under the protection of the ~Hannya of the North~. Excusing himself politely and placing his dish away in the sink, Kagari was walking to his room and pulling out his cellphone. He took his cellphone in hand and was planning to text Takami, but was halted by a voice directly behind him.

"You already know of how I got to be here. But you didn't know who I was until you heard my tale. You are planning to give that information to someone. Who?" Jirou had spoken, and Kagari, had spun around to see the Shinobi except he wasn't there.

"Where...?" Kagari edged backwards.

"With the landlady's rules in place, I can't physically harm you under this roof. But I won't risk you giving out sensitive information regarding me. You are well trusted here, I can feel out that much. I would like to trust you myself...it has only been one day, but this world has made me wary." Jirou spoke again, and Kagari realized that the man was on the ceiling somehow clinging to the smooth surface while hanging upside down. Regaining composure, Kagari's tense frame relaxed.

"Alright, you're crazy perceptive. You're also right that I was planning to disclose your whereabouts here, but she is no enemy of you or me I can assure you." Kagari insisted. Jirou jumped down to stand in front of the male Sekirei.

"Whom do you speak of? Another Sekirei?" Jirou wondered. Kagari shook his head.

"Nope, she is Human. Look, having been here for about a day or so, you probably don't know much regarding MBI, right?" Kagari posed the question, and Jirou vaguely remembered the strange fighters he cut down when he first had come to Shintou Teitou. He hadn't thought much further on them for he had been shocked by the culture and environment he witnessed on his first day.

"MBI...what does it mean?" Jirou asked back. Kagari sighed.

"Listen, I'm real tired from having spent most of the night awake due to my job. You can ask the others for more depth, especially Matsu-san. I'll share a little bit since I'm not passed out quite yet. MBI is an abbreviation for a Human run pharmaceutical company that has gained tremendous influence especially here in Shitou Teitou. You probably don't get much of what I mean, but I'm no history buff, so I can't think of an equivalent to use instead. Sorry." Kagari looked outside the window.

"The full name is Mid Bio Informatics. Since you're asking all this, no Sekirei has been winged by you then. Or maybe you're not Ashikabi material, but that's hard to say just yet. MBI is using the entire city for a stupid game of which Sekirei are involved in. Look out there." Kagari continued and gestured to the Shinobi. Jirou noticed the tallest building in the far distance, which bore the MBI initials. Jirou hadn't realized that it's location was like a beacon, making it very easy to find. Kagari had already been making his way to his room, a yawn escaping his lips.

"Sekirei are stronger than Humans, so why would it be that Sekirei would allow themselves to be part of a stupid game, as you call it? They cannot choose to simply be spectators?" Jirou looked at the moving Kagari. The male Sekirei shrugged.

"It would be nice if something like that were possible. The head of MBI along with a few others unlocked the Sekirei and were able to harness the advanced technology in order to give all Sekirei certain adjustments, limiting their true overall potential. Like I said, Matsu, who is known as the Information Sekirei, could give you all the gory specifics if you'd like. Needless to say, Sekirei and Ashikabi alike are pawns of MBI in some aspect. Anyway, I'll hold off telling my, uh, friend about you if that's what you want." Kagari went to his room. Jirou had decided to let him go for there was no deceit in his aura. The Shinobi had to be on his way as well, as he and Miya were going to be praying at her late husband's shrine and then under the pine tree for his village.

She had also mentioned that she had some clothes of which Jirou could use if he wanted to have a leisurely stroll about the city, which were no doubt her late husband's own once upon a time. He just hoped her late husband had more conservative and traditional tastes in clothing like Miya did. If it was more like the youths he witnessed so far, he'd continue sticking to the high ground.

Meanwhile Kagari stripped off his shirt and pants and went under the covers of his blanket in noting but undergarments. His cellphone vibrated and he checked to see who had text him. It was Takami.

"Well, speak of the..." He flipped the phone open.

-Homura, it's Takami! I've got some news for you, regarding the white Ninja I was telling you about.- Reading the text, Kagari responded back. Kagari was just a cover name for Homura, Sekirei #06. He would keep the fact that Jirou was here a secret for now since that was what the Shinobi preferred. That didn't mean he would let other outside information regarding Jirou not be known to him, however.

-What news have you got?- He text back, waiting for her response.

-Seems Karasuba had a run in with him during one of her nightly jaunts. He protected a Sekirei she was set on slaying. He was able to fight toe to toe with her and leave her with two wounds, although they were just scratches at best. The white Ninja had apparently been unable to be struck by her!- It took only a moment to read the response, but Kagari had to reread it a few more times just to be sure he read it correctly.

-Did you hear that directly from Karasuba herself?- Now he was really intrigued. Few if any Humans could match Sekirei in combat directly. It made him wonder just what kind of training Jirou must have undergone. It must have been something quite brutal from times long past when Humans had to physically fight more up close and personal. Jirou did claim to be from the year 1256 A.D. Who knew what Humans endured in those more primitive times, save for Jirou himself?

-I overheard it after having a chat with Minaka. She just busted in, telling Minaka to be on the look out for a Ninja in white. I'll admit he's throwing a bit of wrench into Minaka's plans.- He received after a moment.

-You mean the Sekirei Plan? Seems to be going fairly smoothly for Stage 1. It won't be long until nearly all the Sekirei are winged I'm sure.- Kagari responded after reading the text.

-Minaka was planning on issuing an enormous challenge for Ashikabi to wing the "Green Girl" in the Botanical Gardens here in Shintou Teitou, but someone got to her first before Minaka could even get the text out.- Kagari could feel the laughter building within him at reading that. Takami sent another text.

-Watching his annoyance may become a new hobby of mine if that white Ninja keeps it up! Kuu-chan has yet to be winged apparently, but she is safe I'm sure.- He calmed down after a moment. That explained how Kuusano ended up at the Maison Izumo, because Homura had certainly not even known she had been there at all and thus could not protect her from forcefully being winged by an Ashikabi given the chance. When under his alias as the ~Sekirei Guardian~, Homura, he protected free Sekirei from being taken out of the game before they could find their true Ashikabi. Kuusano had been the last Sekirei adjusted by Takami and held a place within the Researcher's heart for she was like another daughter to Takami.

-Don't worry about Kuusano. You may not have known, but she is safely under my watch. The white Ninja brought her here on my request. Where he is now though, I couldn't tell you.- Kagari didn't want to lie, but knowing how eerily and easily Jirou could read others, he wasn't taking chances. Someone who could hang with Karasuba even if only for a few seconds and let alone remain unscathed, was someone Kagari could admit was scary.

-So Kuu-chan is at the Maison Izumo? Well that's a relief, and that explains why no readings of her being winged have come up yet. I'm surprised you were able to locate the white Ninja so easily. Or was it just pure luck?- The quick response likely meant that Takami's day was just made.

-Damn, I gotta go, and you probably need your beauty sleep. Tell me about it some time though. Takami out.- She followed up with this response soon after which meant Minaka probably needed her assistance with something. Kagari closed his phone, stretching his limbs to work the kinks out. He had some things to think about once he awoke again later in the day.

Outside the gates of Maison Izumo, Yukari and Shiina were making their way via cab ride as Yukari did not own a vehicle to call her own yet. It was 8:04am when they were dropped off nearby as Yukari didn't have much for fare since she had spent a great deal of her allowance purchasing some necessities for the apartment and for Shiina. Shiina wanted to practically run in to see if Kuusano really was there, but settled for staying at Yukari's side for she was walking at a brisk pace to begin with. Both Miya and Jirou were near the entrance to the gates. Jirou had insisted on helping her out, and was sweeping the front. She had gifted him her late husband's most traditional clothing which consisted of a white hoari and dark colored red hakama which she felt appropriate due to the color scheme of his Shinobi attire. Miya had to admit Jirou wore the clothing well, his being at perfect ease. The Shinobi had started to feel the familiar presences of Yukari and Shiina, having committed them to memory already.

"Hello, this is Maison Izumo correct?" Shiina was the first to speak, barely able to contain his excitement. Both he and Yukari bowed in respect, Miya following suit.

"Yes it is. Welcome, I am the landlady Asama, Miya." She spoke politely. Jirou bowed to the two as well.

"I am a tenant under this roof. My name is Musashi, Jirou. Is there anything we can help you with today?" He too spoke in polite fashion. It seemed Shiina could not match his voice with the one who gave Shiina the information on Kuusano the night prior.

"Um...are you two like...you know..." Yukari was looking between the two, pondering if they were an item or not due to mannerisms and way of dress. Before Miya or Jirou could respond, Kuusano stuck her head out from the door leading within the boarding house.

"Jirou-onii, can we play?" Her voice was easily recognizable to Shiina.

"Kuu-chan! You really are here!" The male Sekirei bounded forward, nearly barreling into both Miya and Jirou had they not stepped aside.

"Shiina-onii-chan!" Both Sekirei ran towards one another, Kuusano jumping into his arms as he twirled her about as they were laughing and crying tears of joy. Shiina had finally reunited with his sister figure, Kuusano.

"Awww...she's so cute!" Yukari chimed. Both Jirou and Miya smiled broadly, glad that the two Sekirei had found each other.

"Shiina-onii-chan, who is that?" Kuusano pointed towards Yukari from her vantage point being cradled in Shiina's arms.

"Kuu-chan, that is Yukari-chan. She is my...girlfriend." He was about to call her his Ashikabi but knew that the Sekirei Plan called for secrecy, though he was unaware that the Sekirei Plan was known by Miya and to a much lesser extent, Jirou himself.

"Yeah, that's me! Sahashi, Yukari! Nice to meet you Kuu-chan, your brother has told me a lot about you but I had no idea you were such a cutie!" Yukari came closer and patted the girl on the head once Shiina put Kuusano down on the ground again. Kuusano smiled shyly at the taller girl.

"You two should come inside. It seems you've quite a bit of catching up to do. I'll prepare a snack and some tea." Miya offered. Jirou closed the gates to the entrance as Yukari and Shiina were led inside to the inn itself. They all conversed and played well into the day, nearly forgetting Yukari's appointment with her brother had the young woman not scheduled it on her cellphone beforehand.

To Be Continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Super Shinobi X(Cross):

The Story #1

Disclaimer: Characters from Shinobi series and Sekirei series are the rightful property of their respective owners.

Note: Okay so this will have to tide readers over for awhile because another update won't be occurring until probably mid to late May. Also, I'm pleased to announce that I've gotten a beta reader to check my work. He is Cassius Brutus, author of the fanfic "Will You Listen To My Song?" in the Sekirei section. I definitely recommend checking his story out as he has it already well under way with amazing depth.

As always, thanks for the support. Also go show your support to Cassius Brutus and his works as well. Enjoy.

Chapter 5

Unknown

Karasuba wasn't sure where she was. She was around an open field with sparse vegetation. The sun cast everything in gold as it descended behind a mountain range in the distance. The wind was calm and warm, pleasant against her skin. She took no peace in it though. Looking around, she was glad that her nodachi was nearby and so took the weapon in hand. She drew the blade from the sheath, inspecting it. It was in pristine condition, the edge gleaming in the sunlight. The drawing of another blade caught her ears, and her gaze went to the source. The Shinobi was not far from her location, his back to her. The ninjatou was twirled until he held it in an inverted grip.

"Well...if it ain't Mr. White Ninja himself. That's bold of you. Coming here." She aimed her weapon at him. The Shinobi cast her only a half glance, not turning to fully face her. His scarf billowed with the flow of the wind.

"There is no victory, no revenge, or intent. Only action." He recited. Karasuba was fully at his back in only a few short seconds, her blade raised overhead.

"Of course!" She brought her nodachi down against him. He defended by parrying the strike while twisting to face her, and she swung her blade upward but he performed a back flip to evade. Both of them traded a few blows from their blades, Karasuba driving him back. She finally got his stance open and thrust her nodachi forward to quickly and seamlessly capitalize the opening. The tip of her sword drove into him and she felt the satisfaction of her attack connecting solidly.

Her satisfaction didn't last though, realizing that he was still being pushed back while her blade hadn't pierced him through after all, since no blood was drawn. He had guarded her attack by holding a kunai close to his chest to protect himself from being run through. Karasuba reeled in her surprise and brought her weapon overhead to slice him in half. Rather than retract and defend, he used the momentary pause of her raising the weapon to rush in. He twisted and narrowly avoided the long blade. The kunai in his hand was now being held at Karasuba's throat as her swing concluded. The action caused her pause.

"Oh, you're good...but do you really think a Human can truly defeat a Sekirei? I've killed entire scores of your kind. Trampled entire armies, tanks and all. What can a single man like yourself do?" She spoke arrogantly, using speed and snatching at his arm with her own as she let one hand free from holding her nodachi with both. He twisted his arm out of her hold easier than she thought he would be able to, then leaped on her as she tried to push him away to put enough distance between themselves. A nodachi wasn't the most effective weapon at such close ranges. He jammed his kunai into her forearm to prevent her from initiating a means to widen the gap, his ninjatou a blur of motion as it cut into her neck.

MBI Tower, tallest structure of Shintou Teitou

Karasuba had awoken instantly in a cold sweat, her breathing ragged. She realized that it had been a dream. Her hand reached her throat, feeling no physical cut there or any other injury. It had felt quite real though. The Sekirei flung her covers away and rose up from her western style bed. She was only garbed in a black bra and panties to match. She made her way towards the large window that gave her a view of the city.

'Those words...what did he say?' Karasuba was trying to recall the words he spoke to her in the dream.

"There is...no victory...no revenge, or intent...only action. The hell does that mean?" She spoke aloud. As far as she could tell, she had been taking action. To end his life. That's what she wanted to be dreaming about. She shook her head and took a few breaths to clear her thoughts, gazing at the digital clock on her nightstand. It read 0307(3:07am).

'So it's today then...he did say he found someone who shared my philosophy. Judging by the information, I'd have to agree. Guess I'll know for sure in a few hours.' She decided to try to sleep a while longer and if that didn't work out she would oil and polish her nodachi.

It had been 7am sharp that the three Sekirei of the Disciplinary Squad stood within the main office at the highest point of MBI Tower. Hiroto Minaka, the Chairman of MBI, as well as its founder, was the man behind what is known as the "Sekirei Plan". Dressed in all white to match the wild hair upon his head. Both his fine suit and mantle had nothing but white, save for the frames of his glasses and the color of the tie he wore, which were both black in hue. Currently he was in his lavish seat, which was more akin to a throne for a King to sit, a grin threatening to split his face.

"Good, good...you three are right on time. Takami-kun should be here any moment to introduce you to the Ashikabi I've selected for the Disciplinary Squad. Of course, you will not need to be winged immediately. This is more of a formality so we can all see how he meets your fancies...we are in the First Stage still, after all." Hiroto explained, leaning further into his seat. The Sekirei to the left of Karasuba stepped forward a bit. She had reddish pink hair tied to a ponytail on the side of her head by a flower ornament and wore a black kimono wrap that was similar in hue to Karasuba's own with a red obi around her waist. Her form was very petite, looking the youngest out of the three. Which she was.

"Hey Chairman, what can you tell us about this Ashikabi?" This was Benitsubasa, Sekirei #105. She was the most fiery and excitable of the three members. Her specialty was hand to hand combat. Karasuba knew much more about the man himself that they did, Hiroto having given her an actual file of the Ashikabi and said that she could grace the other two with the information if she so liked. That question from Benitsubasa clearly showed that the older Sekirei left them out of the loop.

"You'll have to wait only a little while longer, Beni-chan. All shall be explained when..." Hiroto took a pause as he heard the ding of the elevator. Takami entered the room, followed by a young man dressed sharply in a tailor fitted navy blue suit and matching tie. Even his collared shirt was custom made, baring the initials of his name upon the cuffs. His blazer sported a small pin with the MBI logo engraved on its surface. His hair was a light brown and near shoulder length. One look at the man for Benitsubasa, and her cheeks flushed at how handsome his features were.

"Minaka, this is the Ashikabi you asked me to bring." Takami said. Hiroto rose to his feet dramatically, his cape flaring outward.

"You three, I'd like you to meet Ichinomi, Natsuo. I've scoured the entire tower to find an Ashikabi who may impress all of you. But please don't take my words at face value. Go ahead and talk to each other." Hiroto urged with waves of his hands. Natsuo stepped towards the center, facing Karasuba and the two other Sekirei.

"Hello. Since you all have heard my name from the Chairman, I'll skip to telling you a little bit about myself. As you're already aware, I have been working within MBI's walls for quite some time until the Chairman made his decision to approach me. Currently I work as a clerk with the Pharmaceutical Department. I know that I'm not an active Ashikabi within the Sekirei Plan yet, but I do look forward to becoming friends still even if it's decided I am not cut out for the role of the Disciplinary Squad's Ashikabi." His smile was pleasant and carefree. Benitsubasa's cheeks became redder.

"You dress quite sharply for a clerk, Ichinomi-san. Perhaps you're married to someone rich, or are you the one who's rich?" Karasuba spoke first out of the three, a smile of her own matching the Ashikabi. She was already aware of his past circumstances and wanted to see how he might respond.

"I'm not married, Karasuba-san, but I did have a lover who was very good to me. He was a doctor, and left me quite an inheritance." Natsuo said, already aware of their names. Mention of the doctor caught the attention of the other two Sekirei.

"H...He...?"The Sekirei to Karasuba's right spoke up, though her voice was raspy. She was wrapped nearly all in bandages and had a ratty looking black kimono and a dog collar like choker around her neck. Her silver hair was cropped short and splayed in messy spikes around her face, covering one eye from view. She also had large gauntlets of metal that were fashioned with hooked claws at the fingers. This was Haihane, Sekirei #104. Her body was decently more developed in comparison to Benitsubasa's.

"Yes, Haihane-san. He. To clear things up, I'm a homosexual." The man affirmed.

"So you mean...you've never...been...you know...with a..." Benitsubasa wasn't sure how to word her sentence with tact and merely stuttered it out. It was clear enough to the others that she had reacted instantly to the Ashikabi, there was only one issue though.

"You mean with a woman, Benitsubasa-san? No. I suppose that would make me a virgin still...to an extent." Was his response. Benitsubasa looked away, further embarrassed. Haihane was puzzled for a moment before she got what he meant and began to chortle in amusement. Karasuba had already been chuckling. Natsuo did not outwardly show if he was offended or not, his smile still carefree like the rest of his demeanor. Karasuba could admit that the fellow seemed at least competent on the surface. Only the future would tell how far. Hiroto stood beside the man.

"Well, it seems you all are getting along for the time being and we shall all bare witness if it leads to something more eventually. But now...now we move on. Ladies, Gentleman...Let's get down to business!" Hiroto began to pace the room, his cape swishing with his movements.

"As you're all aware, it would seem we've gotten a new player joining in on our game. The problem? Nothing! Nothing, at all...okay well, maybe there is one teeny, weeny, itsy, bitsy, tiny, little problem." Hiroto paused for dramatic effect. Everyone else waited for him to continue. He didn't. He pointed his finger to each one of them for a few moments randomly before his finger slowed to a stop, aimed at Takami.

"Go on, Takami-kun. Ask me what's the problem." He said. The woman doctor sighed.

"Why me...fine, Minaka...what's the problem?" She muttered, just loud enough for Hiroto and the others to pick it up.

"And I'm so glad you asked, Takami-kun. Here's the problem: Two weeks have passed since our new player joined in...and nothing, no, not one little thing...is known about him. No names, no finger prints, no DOB or SSN, no winged Sekirei...nothing." Hiroto pointed towards Karasuba.

"Kara-chan here has had the privilege of fighting our masked friend though for only perhaps a few minutes at best. Regardless, his skills were such that even she was impressed by them. Unfortunately due to some technical issues, the fight could not be recorded." He pulled a remote from his pocket and clicked a button, so that a large projection screen appeared from the ceiling. The video played the scene where a strange meteorite fell from the sky and on top of a building not far from the Tower's location. The image shifted to portray the visor cam of the Captain of Soldiers leading them up the stairs to gain access to the roof as no elevator had access all the way up. Rather than an actual meteorite to be investigated by the MBI soldiers, it turned out to be some strange white clad Shinobi, who managed to kill a small but still decent amount of them to leave the living ones that witnessed the fight scared of their own shadows. The last shown footage was of the Shinobi heading towards the Botanical Gardens. Hiroto paused the video so that a decent image of the Shinobi could be fully shown.

"You may have not known it, but it was going to be the very next day after that Ninja arrived I was planning to have the Green Girl campaign. Unfortunately without satellite feed being able to be utilized effectively, I had the soldiers scour the place to make sure she was still in there. Several hours later I finally got the response saying that no one could be found. So in short, not quite what I expected, but an interesting development none the less." He took pause, pressing a button to make the projector and screen to go back into their ceiling compartments. No imagination was required to deduce the Shinobi had likely spirited off with the "Green Girl" and was most probably headed for the Northern City, of which could not be monitored properly due to certain "obstacles" in place.

Takami admitted it had been rather comical to see Hiroto moan and wail about how said star of the campaign was no longer available. Though he had gotten over his dramatics soon enough. Still, what got her more was the fact that Kuusano had yet to appear under a winged status. She was alive and unharmed at least, according to the monitoring equipment that allowed MBI to see who was still in the "Game".

"So why are you telling us this? You want us to try and track him? That's easier said than done." Takami mentioned. Hiroto nodded.

"Indeed, however, some people claim to have spotted the white Ninja every now and again, correct? Plus we know he tends to appear between late afternoon and later at night." He turned to face the Disciplinary Squad.

"I want you three to try and locate this ninja. Kara-chan, I know your familiar with fighting him, but I want Beni-chan and Hane-chan hanging around. Just to ensure he doesn't escape like the last time. From what you say...he's a bit, I suppose, slippery?" He said, looking out the window and towards the city.

"Oh? Are you saying that I'm not enough to kill a single Human? That hurts, Minaka...that hurts me deep." The Disciplinary Squad Leader mocked, but there was definite venom in her smile. If it bothered Hiroto when he turned and faced her, he remained aloof.

"Oh don't be like that...I have utmost faith in your abilities. Tell you what, I'll leave the decision to you. You are the one in command of the Disciplinary Squad after all. No matter what though...please make our new player as welcome as he can within our city." He gave Karasuba the widest berth for she was one of the strongest Sekirei of her kind. Second perhaps to only one other in overall power. Hiroto took his seat and remained silent awaiting Karasuba's response.

"Well if that's all you wanted to bring up, I'll be on my way." She said and departed from the group.

"So wait, what's the plan?" Benitsubasa questioned. Karasuba stopped, but didn't turn around.

"You two can have some free time, but we will regroup here at 5. Then I'll give you your orders." Was all she said before she left in the elevator. Natsuo took out his cellphone and looked over a few things.

"Well, I suppose I've some free time of my own. Would you two like to eat breakfast with me?" He looked to Benitsubasa and Haihane.

"Uh...sure." Benitsubasa said, a small smile on her face. Haihane simply nodded. Both Sekirei followed him out. Takami watched them go.

"Well, if nothing else, that Ichinomi fellow is smooth. I'm sure Benitsubasa has already reacted to him. The other two I couldn't say." She remarked.

"Takami-kun, tell me...the Ninja, do you think he could be an Ashikabi as well?" Hiroto spoke up, twiddling with his thumbs.

"Hard to say...Karasuba said he was able to save Sekirei #19 that night. She was shown as being alive and well, but also not winged yet. It could be that he isn't Ashikabi material, or just a delay in reaction between Sekirei and Ashikabi. You know the process already...it could take anywhere from meeting for a few seconds to about a week before a Sekirei might react and realize their destined Ashikabi is around." She explained with a shrug, for they both were aware.

"Indeed...but someone that strong...well, we will know soon enough I'm sure." Hiroto leaned further into his seat.

"Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be going then." She said. Hiroto gave a nod, but seemed to be thinking about other things. One thing Takami knew, was that if the Disciplinary Squad was going to be more actively patrolling, the Ninja could end up in a spot of trouble since Karasuba was likely not to be toying with him the next time they met. Benitsubasa and Haihane traveled as a pair in most cases, so even if Karasuba didn't locate him but those two did, it could still be a tough situation. They lacked the overwhelming power that Karasuba commanded, but with two against one they might be able to compensate.

The Shinobi did not fall under the typical rules of the Game. No Sekirei winged by him meant that he was not exempt from being harmed by Sekirei. He could be an Ashikabi potentially, but until proof of that came about, The Disciplinary Squad could hunt him without mercy.

'Better tell Homura about this...maybe he can warn the Ninja.' Takami pulled out her phone. Homura was her only link to the Ninja after all. Investigations proved useless in gaining information, for no computer banks or other files yielded much about the symbol on his belt save for a tiny research article she dug up. Of a Clan Crest of which only speculation could be made. The banner was in rough shape and barely recognizable, which was claimed to be from as early back as the 1200s to 1250s time period and might have been part of a Ninja Clan since so little information publicly existed due to the secrets of Ninja clans from the rest of society in general.

Takami was not ready to believe that time travel was a factor since nothing was concrete. The Ninja could be some other race of alien species aside from the Sekirei for all Takami knew. Sekirei were proof of alien life after all.

Maison Izumo, in the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

"This ought to be good." Uzume said. She and Matsu sat along the porch. Next to them was another female and one male. The female was dressed in a somewhat Shrine Maiden get up with a white hoari sewn with red cords from the shoulders down and along the hem of the sleeves, a pink obi around her slim waist. Her red skirt was very short, though her toned legs were covered in white stockings with the same red cords sewn at the top as with her haori. Her brown hair was crop to about shoulder length save for a small ponytail tied back by a red ribbon. She looked to the male, a cheerful smile on her face as she grabbed hold of the sleeve of his shirt.

"Wow! Minato-sama, Look how respectful they are! They are like an old married couple!" She pointed to Jirou and Miya, who were kneeling in seiza before each other. Minato wore a simple long sleeved shirt of white and some blue jeans. His hair was dark black and cropped fairly short as it framed around his head. His cheeks became red at the girl's comment.

"I'm...not sure that's right, Musubi-chan." He said, scratching at his cheek and sparing a small chuckle. Jirou was wearing the white hoari and dark red colored hakama that had once belonged to Miya's late husband which was fast becoming his normal everyday civilian wear, the two newest residence unaware that he was the Shinobi they sometimes caught snippets about on the news.

Bokken lay by their sides, Miya's on her right, while Jirou's was to his left. It had become routine for Jirou and Miya to tend to the garden before the others awoke, help with breakfast and setting the table, pray at her late husband's shrine followed by praying for his village under the pine tree, do some chores around the house, prepare lunch, then exercise with a spar.

Musubi had made somewhat of a variant where she would train with Miya a bit first though be soundly whipped without much effort from the landlady's part. She and Minato had appeared at the inn quite suddenly about a week and a half ago. The two had literally entered from the backyard, but also dropped from the sky right over the tree Jirou and Miya would pray under. Thanks to quick thinking from Kuusano, she was able to manipulate the tree to soften their fall. Jirou had seen her powers for the first time that day, remarking how handy they were. Miya of course let Minato and Musubi stay after hearing their tale of woe. The duo had taken a few days to pack up and relocate their belongings from Minato's prior place of residence to Maison Izumo.

"Did we make it in time?" Ikki and Kuusano had rushed out there, taking their places beside Minato since the porch was becoming very crowded. Ikki also would spar with Miya, but much less frequently compared to Musubi.

"Yep, just in time." Matsu grinned. They all watched as Miya and Jirou rose to their feet at the same time, grabbing their bokken. Miya adopted the traditional stance for use with a blade, her bokken aimed towards Jirou's face as she held the wooden blade loosely and comfortably. Jirou held his bokken with the inverted grip he favored since he usually wielded his ninjatou in similar fashion. He stood straight and let the bokken behind him parallel with his arm. Both waited, eyes never leaving the other.

Miya began to strafe to Jirou's right, and he began to back pedal a few steps and keep her fully in his sight as his stance became his offensive one again, the bokken held in front of him with his free hand hovering over the end of its grip. Miya took two quick steps to close the distance in nearly a flash, her weapon thrust towards Jirou's throat. He parried the strike with a swipe to knock her weapon from it's original trajectory allowing him to side step the attack. Miya persisted and followed his movement with keen eyes, her weapon trailing him. He defended again while remaining on the move. Neither one was wasting time and excess movement than what was absolutely necessary.

"Damn...how does he do that so easily?" Uzume muttered, watching as Miya engaged a few quick swipes of her bokken that were faster than average and usually put Musubi on the defensive before she was soundly whacked in the shoulders or head. Jirou was not phased by Miya's strikes and parried them with what looked like relative ease. In pure physical strength and speed he could not contend with her, yet like with Karasuba he could read her movements and react in sublime fashion. Like he knew her actions just a split second before she herself could change tactics and had begun to fully commit to the attack.

Eventually Miya backed off, seeing as no strike was being put on Jirou. Granted, she was still holding back much of her true power obviously, since it was beyond any known limits on this world. He was never going fully against her attacks when on defense by being rigid. He was moved by the force of her attacks, but not much, nor was he winded. He absorbed the impact of her attacks by being fluid and adaptive. Now Jirou went on the offensive, always checking his mind in a fraction of a second to see that it and his body were in alignment. Perfect balance.

'Ninjutsu has no style. The secret...is within you.' In his mind's eye, Jirou was sparring against his teacher and friend the Shadow Master but his actual sight took in Miya. They traded several other strikes to no avail at opening the other one's defense. Finally, Miya was able to force an opening in his defense and quickly aimed a strike for his chest. He didn't guard and instead narrowly shifted to evade the wooden blade, twisting his free arm around her own. His attempt to trap her arms was only partially successful as she was able to maintain one free arm. While that occurred, he was able to trap one of her legs with his own. She caught on a split second later and mimicked the motion to trap one of his. The two were now effectively stuck in place and narrowly maintaining their balance to remain standing.

"My, that is rather bold..." Matsu's glasses seem to fog up. Jirou's free arm was locked around Miya's waist while trying to keep her sword arm trapped to her side, but from the angle the audience were viewing them, it seemed as if he was making Miya straddle against him in an indecent yet romantic manner. During their third spar ever, Miya attempted to wrestle free and throw him to the ground, as he had been able to get her in a similar hold then. Jirou had been slippery though, his unarmed martial prowess more expansive than her own. He could find many more means of escaping her from trying to pin him down in a spar rolling on the ground.

"Seems we are at a stand still. Again." Miya said after a moment. Her bokken was flipped in an inverted grip now. If it had been an actual blade, it would cut Jirou through his back and ribcage. Similarly though, if Jirou's armed weapon were real, it would have cut into her across the junction of her shoulder and neck.

"So it does, landlady. So it does." Jirou and her disengaged and took a couple of steps back before bowing to one another in respect. As was becoming the norm, their audience would clap and holler. The display was nothing short of magnificent to those who observed. In truth they were simply exhibitions for both Miya and Jirou.

It was a bit frustrating to be sparring in front of so many, at least for him. He did not mind the environment for it was always immaculately cared for by Miya, but part of him missed sparring in the dojo with the Shadow Master. There they could not only improve upon their skills, but relearn the basic principles, go through lectures, perform calligraphy, and meditate in true solace. To reflect on what one had learned in peace.

"Well, time for laundry. All of you know what to do." Miya turned to her audience. The group groaned but complied, knowing that trying to skirt over the responsibilities would earn them the devilish and fearsome Hannya visage to appear around the gentle seeming landlady. This was the group's only real major time used chore. They had plenty of other minor ones, but Miya took care of plenty of the other stuff that could be taken for granted, though Jirou's coming had allowed her to share the burden for he was no stranger to hard work around the house. Kagari was not completely exempt from doing his own laundry and other chores, but was allowed to do it more at his leisure since he had a night job and required sleep during the day.

"As always, landlady, sparring with you is an honor." Jirou commented before turning from Miya to engage with Kuusano. He would take care of Kuusano's and his own clothing, usually early in the morning. Miya did pay him a portion of money since he was effectively becoming something close to a personal assistant and confidant of herself. He would buy the young Sekirei small gifts with quite a bit of help from Miya who also was teaching him how to spend yen, for it was a commodity he was not accustomed to using. His time was heavy in barter and trade before a monetary system could be put in effect.

Right now he was teaching Kuusano how to make origami animals such as a dog and a rabbit. She had already mastered the crane in a short amount of time. The past week he had taken her to meet with Shiina and Yukari for a couple of hours at a time when it was coordinated. Yukari could not afford to have both Shiina and Kuusano with her, so Jirou had offered to maintain Kuusano's stay at Maison Izumo. Miya smiled as she witnessed Jirou pay attention to the little girl, like a father caring for his daughter.

"Likewise, Jirou-san." She recalled that Jirou had no children of his own, but he would sometimes play with other children in his village as his wife would often do babysitting for other villagers if they needed. He had opened up to the owner of Maison Izumo more than the others since they shared more in common, though he was not being disrespectful of the others and would converse with them about small things though it wasn't his forte being someone who ruled the life of the shadows. Kuusano still called him her brother though. It made him a tad uncomfortable as he was realizing that their relationship was becoming more paternal. Miya knew that deep down in little Kuusano's heart that she wanted to grow up and be Jirou's wife someday, but he would not allow her to steal his lips for a kiss and be winged. Each time she would attempt it, He would direct a kiss to her cheek instead or upon her brow or forehead.

'I must find out more about Sekirei and this plan...apparently they react to someone considered destined to become winged by. Yet there are those who will forcibly wing them to gain their great power. Kuu-chan...' Jirou knew that Kuusano wanted to be winged by him. He was very uncomfortable with the idea of making an Ashikabi of himself with her. It was no temporary thing either from some of his conversations with Matsu and Kagari. Matsu also wanted to wing with him as she was starting to react, but he also kept her at length though she understood more easily why unlike the child Kuusano. Kuusano was wizened more than most children her age, but there was no contesting she was still a young child.

He allowed Miya to disclose the information that he had been married and loved his wife dearly from his original time, and he was still mourning her demise. This had to be addressed because a few times Matsu had sneaked into his room from the ceiling, by use of the air conditioner vent. Each time he would catch her, though. The same was true for Ikki. Though she had only done so once and at least used the door to his room. She was the only other one besides Matsu who learned of getting a dose of Jirou's aptly named ~Demon Eyes~ by the redhead. Thus it was the first and last time Ikki attempted such a thing. Hearing about his late wife, the two maintained a platonic relation with Jirou though it was clear they wanted to be more. He could see the appeal and the dread of the Sekirei.

'Ashikabi may wing with several Sekirei. It is not only allowed but is coveted since the more an Ashikabi wings, the stronger his force is. Sekirei are more powerful than Humans and so having more than three was an equivalent to having an miniature army of trained warriors.' Matsu's words played in his head. He was not comfortable with the idea of it, though knew it was every young hot blooded male's dream to create a harem of these beautiful aliens. Jirou was not immune to such impulses, but his way of life was different from those in this time. He was strict about being in orderly balance. The only thing a person ever has full control of is his or her own actions. No one else.

He clapped and praised Kuusano as she was able to make a rabbit near flawlessly and she smiled and blushed at his praise. The ornate clock that was in the kitchen sounded, signaling that it was 2pm. Kuusano frowned a bit, as Jirou rose to his feet.

"Ok Kuu-chan, please be good for the the others." He kissed her on her forehead though she tried to raise her head and peck him lips to lips. He picked her up, placed her in Miya's arms, then bid everyone a good day. When he first started to go to sleep midday, Kuusano had put up quite the fuss. Jirou was infinitely patient with the child though, and would reward her when he would wake up the next morning and learn she had been a good girl for the others. He would go to sleep until about 7pm, don his Shinobi attire, and search the City for Sekirei to defend if they needed it.

He would also start to spy on MBI Tower. There was never any shortage of guards on the grounds, but he could see that they were not the most well trained and relied mainly on guns for their offensive, while some defensive gear for protection. The gear could protect against bullets and blunt objects to an extent, but had little else against a sword like Jirou's own which could cut them down. He found bits about the Sekirei Plan, but not being directly a part of it, not even the residents of Maison Izumo would offer more than a few things. Mostly of the Sekirei's habits and abilities, not the game itself. Troublesome, but Jirou did not object to the rules of secrecy put in place. All he could do now was adapt and overcome. Something he was quite good at.

"I've been waiting for you, Jirou-san." Kagari had been outside his door when he emerged from his room promptly at 7pm, garbed as a Shinobi. Kagari was in a black suit.

"You go to work soon. What is it you wanted to discuss briefly?" Jirou questioned, wrapping his red scarf about his neck.

"I was text by my informant in MBI. The Chairman is curious about you, since you interfere but don't play the Game." Kagari explained, his eyes serious. Jirou nodded.

"I see. What measures does he intend to take?" The Shinobi went towards the window and opened it. There was only a soft breeze trailing.

"You remember Karasuba right?" Kagari asked him. Jirou nodded. He never forgot such powerful opponents.

"Of course. It has been about two weeks now since I've ran into her. Why?" Jirou knelt onto the roof of the inn.

"She works for MBI, and is in charge of the Disciplinary Squad. She and two other members, both Sekirei, have been told to give you a warm welcome if they come across you. I'm sure you get what that could entail." Kagari explained. Jirou nodded, sparing no verbal response. Instead he asked another question.

"I've been meaning to ask, but what are those noisy flying contraptions I see hovering about the city from time to time?" Jirou pointed to one such thing, hovering in the far distance deeper within the city.

"Helicopters? Usually just called choppers. People control them to fly. Many belong to MBI and are used as transport or for relaying info from the air. Still, they're armed with weapons like a rail gun and missiles to attack from a distance. You would be hard pressed to fight one and survive. I have to admit, there's more out there than usual..." Kagari explained.

"Anyway, just be careful of them and the Disciplinary Squad. I'll try and be out there maybe in a couple of hours." Kagari said as he shifted his neck from side to side to work out the kinks. He and Jirou had met up a couple of times when Kagari was donning his masked wear and going by the name Homura which was his true name. He had control over the power of Fire. Jirou could not be fooled by the appearance and knew instantly that Homura and Kagari were one and the same. Jirou had earned Homura's respect for helping him out with protecting some Sekirei from being forcibly winged.

"I'll keep that in mind." The Shinobi jumped forward and shot his grappling hook to take to the roofs of other buildings, heading towards MBI Tower. Kagari closed the window once Jirou departed.

"Be safe, Jirou-san." He watched as Jirou disappeared from view, then text Takami to inform her that he had met up with the Ninja and had warned him. Jirou was making decent time getting towards MBI Tower, though would have liked access to his more mission used black attire for better camouflage in the shadows. Wishful thinking wouldn't make them magically appear, though.

He was able to get a few buildings shy of MBI Tower unnoticed and pulled out a small pair of binoculars that Miya had bought for him. Matsu had complained that it was such an old fashioned way of spying and that she could do better from hacking a satellite. Matsu may have been right about the spying part, but Jirou also knew she could not spy using the satellite indefinitely. Nor could she always get every fine detail that Jirou was well versed in looking for. He required multiple perspectives, not just a bird's eye view only.

'Sekirei...' Jirou used his spider walk to cling to the underside of a lip on the roof he occupied and pulling his long scarf towards his body to keep it from flapping about. He heard two Sekirei land here on the roof he occupied, accessed from their impressive jumps.

"Man this is a load of bull! We could be spending time with Natsuo-kun, but instead we're trying to find one damn Ninja?" One of them said, sounding absolutely livid. Jirou was sure these two Sekirei were the members of the Disciplinary Squad that Kagari had mentioned.

"He's gay, remember? He could care less about your advances...nothing you got will do for him...not that you had much to begin with. Flatty." The other voice was calmer and slightly raspy.

"Shut up Haihane! Bigger isn't always better! At least I'm not socially awkward! And the name's Benitsubasa!" The louder Sekirei replied. The other Sekirei was chortling softly. Jirou could feel the familiar presence approaching. Karasuba had literally jumped onto the scene.

"You two are still hanging around by MBI Tower? I've given you your orders, so you'd best follow them...wouldn't want either of you a head shorter...Beni-chan, Hane-chan." Her voice was calm as ever. He could sense the fear in the other two Sekirei by their aura. The fiery one, Benitsubasa, also had the hint of wanting to end the other two at some point in time given the chance. She was not fond of either of them despite being comrades.

He was straining his ears to hear the rest of their conversation over the din of the loud noise of the propellers from a Chopper that was flying almost right beside the building. Jirou remained deathly still, hoping the shade would keep him out of view of the large flying machine. The rotor wash generated from it's propellers was causing his clothing to flap about. Unfortunately, Jirou noticed someone inside the chopper pointing at the ninja. The chopper than hovered and turned towards him. Jirou had to act, and it had to be now. The Shinobi disengaged from sticking on the ledge, using his spider walk to tread the side of the building with his feet.

"Halt!" An intercom on the chopper called. This of course garnered the attention of the Disciplinary Squad. They checked over the side of the building, catching sight as Jirou was descending it by running downward. The chopper followed and began to fire it's rail gun, decimating the glass and stonework of the building as it attempted to kill the Shinobi.

"Well I'll be..." Karasuba said, but her voice was drowned out by the choppers propellers. She gave a hand signal to the other two Sekirei to tail him. However they didn't expect Jirou to leap off the side of the building at a sharp angle, tossing his grappling hook around the chopper's landing treads and used it to swing from, landing on another roof. It allowed only small reprieve as the MBI chopper could turn easily in the air. It fired a couple of missiles at his retreating form.

Not really knowing what to expect from the large projectiles but to avoid them, Jirou hadn't expected the explosion that followed when they hit the roof. Waves of fire and shrapnel were left behind as plumes of smoke rose into the air. He wasn't left completely unscathed due to his surprise, shrapnel slicing into his right bicep and another on his shoulder on the same side where he just so happened to lack more defensive armaments on his person. Luckily they were mere scratches. He ran and got a few buildings away by using his grappling hook and acrobatics.

'I need to get out of the line of sight.' To help things along, Jirou tossed a few kunai at the glass window to crack the surface and impede its sight. He was eventually able to escape by weaving around the side of a building and breaking into it through a window where the chopper could not follow. It shot it's rail gun, but Jirou was able to get away unscathed. He got a few levels down inside the building and slammed into a window on another side. This had allowed him to get out of the sight of the Disciplinary Squad also. He made his way a great distance through the city until he ended up by the pier. There was the feeling of being watched from the sky as well. Jirou was sure that MBI had gotten a fix on his location and watching his movements, trying to track him.

"Perhaps now is as good a time as any to leave a message of warning all my own." Jirou spoke to himself catching sight of another lone chopper nearby on patrol. He didn't want to engage the one in the city to avert further destruction and civilian casualties on the ground from falling glass and debris. If he fought this chopper in the middle of the pier, he could fight without reserve and destroy it. Kagari had warned him otherwise, but Jirou knew better what to expect of this opponent now. He was sure of his victory.

He leaped down to the center of the pier, turning to catch more clearly the view of the chopper as it hovered over the air for a bit before flying over his head and Jirou twisted to keep it in his sights. It faced him again now, firing missiles and Jirou avoided them. He was more mindful of their destruction and avoided the explosive fire left behind. It took a quick pass overhead to make Jirou a much easier target to hit, the pilot not realizing that he was making himself a big fat target for Jirou as well. The rail gun went off and sputtered several rounds along the ground in chase of Jirou.

"Die, Ninja! This is for my brothers!" The pilot yelled through the intercom aboard the chopper. Jirou twisted around and leaped over the spread of gun fire, shooting kunai to crack the glass of the windshield. He spun like a buzz saw, his blade cutting into the metal front of the chopper. His grappling hook slammed into the top of the chopper near it's propellers, giving Jirou leverage to stand upon it's nose. He then impaled his ninjatou into the glass, killing the co-pilot instantly. Jirou then slid the blade to sever the pilot's throat next. The chopper jerked suddenly now that no one was in control of it. Jirou flipped off the large flying machine. He watched as it slammed into the concrete and become a haze of fire and black metal.

He had to leap out of the way as the propeller blades went whizzing towards him while ripping up concrete due to its great velocity, halted as it pierced into metal shutters of a half circle shaped building. Sheathing his ninjatou, Jirou prayed for the souls of the two men and their crew of four in the chopper to find peace in the afterlife. He called Matsu using her cellphone that she left him. He needed her assistance to jam the visuals of the MBI satellites so he could start making his way back towards the inn undetected. Seeing the partially made building of a construction site, he headed up there in order to reach higher buildings nearby. Someone happened to be up at the top.

"So you watched the fight?" Jirou looked towards the person, knowing a Sekirei by the aura they had. This Sekirei was a tall woman garbed in a very tight fitting maroon colored dress that clung to her impressive curves and had open slits at the front of the dress to allow a large amount of her cleavage and toned stomach to show visibly. Her long hair was tied back into a ponytail via a similar colored cord ribbon. She was definitely one of the more mature Sekirei he had come across, and pondered if she was one of those single digit numbered Sekirei.

"I was just out here hoping to soak in the sight of the full moon and feel the ocean breeze against my skin while partaking some sake. I didn't expect the choppers to be all about buzzing like flies. Nor did I expect someone to attack a chopper either." She took a sip from large bottle rested in her hands, giving a contented sigh once she laid the bottle back down in front of her.

"You have a sad aura about you. You've no Ashikabi to greet and be merry with?" Jirou inquired. He could feel that her drinking was a way to mask grief, but it still clung to her aura like a shroud of darkness. She was a bit taken aback that he could realize what emotions were lurking deep down within her heart.

"I found one, but he didn't want me is all. So I'm trying to get over him...and this is the best way I know how." She stated after a moment, eyes moving from looking at him to gazing at the moon.

"But anyway, what brought you out here?" She changed the subject, wanting to get away from thinking of a past love that spurned her affections. He realized it must have been a hard thing to come to terms with, especially for a Sekirei if she happen to be reacting to this person. He wondered if her sad feelings would manifest more fully in those like Kuusano, Matsu, or Ikki.

He was a stranger in a strange time though, not used to things still for he was nearly 800 years behind and just grasping the cusp of some of the things this time offered. Two weeks was still not enough to mourn the loss of everything and everyone he once had. He could not offer her solace or even refuge at Maison Izumo since Minato and Musubi had taken the last rooms. Another room could probably be made from one of the larger storage rooms at the inn but would take time, as well as prior approval, from Miya.

"I want to know more about the Sekirei Plan, and the meaning of why you all must fight one another to the death. Your numbers are small enough as is." He could not protect Sekirei easily, not only because of their small numbers but also because they themselves were killing each other. All for some game of sport.

"Oh? Hmmm...well I guess I could indulge you a little..." She stopped as she heard the din of a chopper in the distance. It was making it's way here.

"They're on the way. The Disciplinary Squad..." He hopped over to her, scooping her in his arms before she could get a word of protest out. He descended into the shadows of the construction site, using his legs to kick off the steel beams to make it to the ground while ensuring they didn't get injured by anything protruding from the ground like loose debris or tools and equipment. He placed the Sekirei on her feet and guided her to the darkest corner for cover. Karasuba, Benitsubasa, and Haihane all were hovering over the air, landing on the top of the construction site before jumping down towards the wreckage of the downed chopper. An MBI chopper followed.

"You don't seem too impeded by your drinking. We would be wise to get out of here, ma'am. I'm going over the fence. Perhaps we will meet again. Farewell and be safe." Jirou was already rushing towards a fence, springing off it to get to the other side. The Sekirei followed him.

"Kazehana. I'm too young to be referred to as ma'am." She said as matter of fact. Jirou let out a small chuckle.

"My apologies for my rudeness. I am Jirou. I wish perhaps we could speak more under pleasanter circumstances. For now, just know that I sympathize with your loss of love, for I too have lost someone very important to me. It will take some time to grieve, but never let it fully envelop you from doing what you want most in this life. Be well Kazehana-san." He peered carefully around the streets and saw only a few pedestrians wandering about at this time of night. He grapple hooked his way to the tall lamp posts and used them to cross the street, feeling Kazehana's gaze on his back for a time until he was gone from her view. She didn't follow, hopefully mulling over what he said about having to move on in a more positive manner than trying to drink her sorrow away. A slow process, but it had to happen eventually or no growth in mind and spirit could be achieved. Then living might as well be useless.

Maison Izumo, withing the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

Jirou caught sight of Homura on the roof of the inn, surmising he was doing his Sekirei Guardian duties and feigning sick from work. The odd thing was, the male Sekirei appeared drenched by water.

"Did something happen?" Jirou had been so silent that Kagari hadn't heard his arrival until he spoke to the other male, causing the Sekirei to nearly jump out of his skin. Despite his somewhat Ninja like appearance when in that particular uniform, Kagari was not and had lesser understanding of reading into auras to sense a person. Homura's uniform was indeed dripping wet.

"Holy crap...Jirou, don't ever do that! I...got caught in the rain..." He said after a moment, trying to lighten his own mood as Jirou spared a small chuckle at his sarcasm. The blush that shown under the mask of Homura's told Jirou that the male Sekirei was thinking intimately on someone, perhaps someone he met tonight.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jirou asked, his mood serious again since Kagari seemed troubled by something. The Sekirei didn't respond immediately.

"Jirou, you were married right? To someone who attracted you, correct?" Kagari finally asked, after contemplating his thoughts.

"I did. She was very precious to me. Is there someone your reacting to?" Jirou was recalling his small talk with Kazehana. Perhaps Kagari was going over something similar at this point.

"It's true that some Sekirei can be quite forceful about being winged with an Ashikabi that they reacted towards...but no, that's not what I mean...It's just...Humans can be attracted to other Humans...so..." Kagari scratched the back of his head, becoming somewhat downtrodden by some thoughts of his.

"Are you...attracted to another Sekirei?" Jirou asked, though he would not press if the male Sekirei chose not to respond.

"I...might be...no, forget about it. Sorry for not showing up to help you out. I heard that a chopper was downed by the white Ninja though. I got the text on my phone about 30 minutes ago. Looks like you weren't even seriously hurt. Man, for just having some throwing knives and a sword, that's pretty impressive!" Kagari changed the subject.

"The man controlling it attacked me out of anger, and it worked against his judgment. I was expecting a much harder battle, but found my opportunity to end things quickly enough and did so. MBI will likely be more wary of me now, as they should be." Kagari could only give a low whistle at the response. Both men entered the inn from the window. It was already 10pm after all. They had missed dinner.

To Be Continued...


	6. Chapter 6

Super Shinobi X(Cross):

The Story #1

Disclaimer: Characters from Shinobi series and Sekirei series are the rightful property of their respective owners.

Note: Okay, so it'll be quite hard to top the last chapter, and this one pretty much is just setting up some events to occur later on down the road, and I feel the action takes more of a back seat to expand a bit on some character relations more than anything else. The next chapter will make it up though, I'm sure. Expect it hopefully near the end of this month. Anyway, as always, thanks for all the support of this story. I want to once again thank Cassius Brutus for beta reading this chapter as well and giving his input and advice to help improve upon its quality.

Chapter 6

Jirou bid Kagari good night and went to check on Kuusano. The little girl was asleep snugly in her futon. Jirou had a smile under his mask as he gazed at the cute girl. He closed the door silently and glanced down the hall, catching sight of Miya as she walked towards him.

"Oh, Jirou-san, good evening. Did you arrive with Kagari-san?" Miya bid him a greeting.

"Good evening landlady. I did, but he had been doused in water..." Jirou mentioned. Miya nodded.

"Yes, I know. I informed him to clean up any lingering puddles he left behind along the trail back to his room. Oh my...Jirou-san, your uniform is ripped at the shoulder." Miya peered more closely at the torn fabric. It shown a small stain of blood upon it.

"It was out of some carelessness, and shall not happen again. I will mend the clothing myself." Jirou said after a moment. Miya took his gloved hand.

"I've got a first aid kit in the commons room. I'll clean and bandage your wound at least. I may have a sewing kit in one of the storage rooms. We can look tomorrow. Actually, Uzume-san would likely have a more readily available one since she is quite good at it." She guided him to the commons room.

"As always, thank you for your hospitality, landlady. I've a sewing kit of my own though, so there is no need to ask Uzume-san. I've had to patch up my uniform on prior occasions." He sat cross legged once they reached their destination of the inn, Miya grabbing hold of the first aid kit along the wall while Jirou removed his mask and hood, sliding the front of his uniform open and shrugging off the mesh undershirt as well. His cuts were not very deep, a thin trail of blood surrounding the open wounds.

Miya sat in seiza position behind Jirou, opening the kit and taking some disinfectant wipes out to clean Jirou's wounds. Jirou didn't even hiss in pain, well use to getting patched up other times. Miya started to apply some gauze and bandages on the now cleaned wounds, also noticing some old scars on his person, having now seen him partially bare for the first time. His muscles would tense and retract with each measured breath. Miya placed a gentle touch upon his shoulder where her handiwork had been completed.

"All done, landlady?" Jirou asked after a moment as he felt her touch.

"Yes, Jirou-san. If you don't mind me asking, how did you get some of these scars?" She traced a finger along one of the scars that marred his back. It left a tingling feeling upon his back where her warm touch had been just moments prior.

"Most of my scars were from my youth, still a fledgling in the way of Shinobi. Having become a more well rounded warrior since then, I seldom have gotten any further scarring from the injuries I've incurred." Jirou said. Miya had been silent for a time after she listened to his words. Jirou felt greater warmth within her aura, as a swell of joy which was infectious to his own mood. He smiled without realizing.

"That's good, Jirou-san. Please ensure your safe return here." She said with a smile as Jirou shifted to face her. He nodded.

"Rest assured that I will, landlady. Could I ask you a question?" He now sat in seiza as well.

"Of course. What's on your mind?" She asked, folding her hands in her lap.

"It concerns Sekirei. I'm not sure if you can answer it, but I would like to ask regardless. Is it normal for a Sekirei to be attracted to another?" Kagari had popped into his mind. He was not trying to be nosy about the other man though, and was asking out of curiosity.

"Attracted? Like the relationship between Kuu-chan and Shiina? Or...do you mean in a romantic sense?" Miya pondered his question.

"The latter." He affirmed. Miya adopted a thoughtful expression.

"Much as Humans become attracted to other Humans, Sekirei can be attracted to another Sekirei. However, the genes within an Ashikabi cause a Sekirei to react and be compelled to serve that person. Sekirei don't have that sway over other Sekirei, much as Humans don't have that kind of sway over other Humans. So even if two of them were attracted to each other...as long as there is an Ashikabi out there they are destined to be with, it would likely never work in the long run between those Sekirei trying to hold a relationship." She explained.

"I see..." He nodded. It was a bit of a contradiction, for all the power that Sekirei as a race held they could still be bound to Human masters in the form of the Ashikabi.

"What brought that question on?" She asked after a moment. Jirou thought about telling her what might have been going on with Kagari, but decided against it for it was speculation that Jirou was assuming at best. Without concrete evidence that Kagari was attracted to another Sekirei, it was best to let things lay as is.

"Just more thoughts about the Sekirei is all. Thank you very much for attending my injury, landlady, small as it was." He bowed to her and she did the same.

"Anytime Jirou-san, and please, we're getting to know one another better now so you need not be so formal around myself." She claimed. Jirou was her most polite tenant, always addressing her by title. This she could understand out of the new tenants until they got more comfortable, but Jirou had kept using it far longer than the others who had dropped the strict formality in about five days or less.

"That is true...two weeks have gone by. Well, if you insist...Miya-dono."He addressed her with using her name for the first time. He considered using her family name, but she was using his first name and so figured it was appropriate. Miya chuckled affectionately.

"Oh, I've never had that honorific tacked on to my name. I was expecting sama, but you've pleasantly surprised me, Jirou-san." She smiled. Jirou did as well.

"I'm glad, Miya-dono. We should turn in though if we want to be awake on time." He caught sight of the clock which was already showing 2257(10:57pm) and rose to his feet. Miya had to agree. He offered his hands for her and she took them to rise on her feet along with him. They bid each a good night.

MBI Tower, Tallest structure in Shintou Teitou

"Oh, this is rich...I didn't think I could get such a feeling besides watching a Sekirei Battle...one more time!" Hiroto kept rewinding the footage of the Shinobi destroying the chopper. The man could not be tracked due to interferences by Matsu. Still, Hiroto was pleased with what they did get. Takami, Natsuo, and the Disciplinary Squad were also present.

"You were right, Kara-chan, this ninja's skills are quite something. I'm getting chills up and down my spine!" The Chairman spoke, quite enthused. Karasuba had a smile of her own. She could appreciate a good show. The Shinobi hadn't hesitated to kill the ones in control of the chopper. That was something she could admire about his character.

"Ah, Minaka...would I ever lie to you?" The Black Sekirei sneered. Takami stepped up.

"Look, as fun as this all is..." Takami spoke sarcastically garnering the attention of the others.

"...I'm pretty sure the ninja didn't attack that chopper just because he could. Doesn't this seem like a warning?" She tried to bring sanity and rationale back into the equation.

"Oh, it's a warning alright. That message is clear enough. Even so, any Sekirei who puts their minds to it could down a chopper easily single handed if so inclined. He could never match one of us in true combat." Karasuba spoke, turning to face Takami, as if challenging her to say otherwise. The woman doctor had a deeper than usual scowl, but said nothing.

"I think I'm on to something!" Hiroto said, rising up to his feet quickly and dramatically. A wide grin graced his face. The others waited for him to elaborate. Hiroto turned to Takami.

"Takami-kun...get me in touch with Teitou News, would you?" Hiroto began to pace around the room, small chuckles escaping his lips every now and again.

"What are you up to, Minaka?" The woman doctor's scowl got even deeper, which was quite a feat given how deep her scowl was already. She had an inkling of what might be going on in the Chairman's head, but really hoped she was wrong.

"Just trust me. All of you...you're going to love this. Oh yes...it will be an amusing little change of pace. But I am the Game Master after all. I make the rules, and no ninja will rewrite them!" Hiroto was now full blown laughing.

Next Morning, Maison Izumo, In the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

Uzume was watching television with Kuusano, the older Sekirei watching her while Jirou and Miya washed dishes, aided by Ikki since it was her turn to dry them. The two Sekirei had been watching a child friendly program when it was cut off with breaking news of the strange ninja being sighted around Shintou Teitou again. Footage of the Shinobi destroying the chopper was being played.

"Jirou-onii..." Kuusano said in a small voice, her eyes shining in awe.

"Holy...! Well, that's being subtle. A chopper, really?" Uzume and Kuusano shared a glance at each other, both having similar thoughts.

"Wow! The ninja is on tv again!" Musubi had been behind them, surprising the two. When she got there, they hadn't realized. Both Uzume and Kuusano were told to keep Jirou's identity as the Shinobi a secret.

"Oh my, what's going on?" Miya asked as she stepped out from the kitchen, seeing a star struck Musubi. Luckily the bubbly Sekirei hadn't heard Kuusano refer to the Shinobi as her Jirou-onii-chan.

"Landlady! The ninja that we sometimes see on tv has struck again! He's very strong! Musubi hopes to spar with him someday!" Musubi said excitedly, pointing as the footage replayed one more time, the reporter announcing the ninja as armed and extremely dangerous. The Police were announced as going to be working jointly with the military presence of MBI in order to bring the ninja to justice.

"I see." Miya spoke. She cast a glance in Jirou's direction as he stepped out to join them. She shifted her head towards the stairs, and Jirou understood she wanted to talk in private while the others were occupied with the television.

"It would seem that MBI is using that footage against you, Jirou-san. Not only MBI, but now the authorities will also be keeping an eye out. It may be best to hang low for a time." Miya spoke when they reached the top. She didn't sound it, but he could feel that she was worried for him.

"There is no need to worry, Miya-dono. Please be at ease. I will not be captured by anyone who I don't allow. Last night you said that you would like that I ensure my safe return here, and I reassured you I would. I do not go back on my words." Jirou looked face to face with Miya, and she knew he spoke every word of his as truth. The landlady smiled prettily.

"I know, Jirou-san. You're right of course, I'm worried over nothing. But if there was just the slightest inkling that you were actually captured without a means of escape...well, it would be safe to say heads would roll." She said, grasping his hands in her own and nodding in reassurance. Her eyes were firm, and he didn't doubt the seriousness of her tone. She would be lying if she didn't admit that it was fun to have Jirou's presence around. Sure she was not physically lonely here in Maison Izumo due to all her tenants, but none tried to really understand and connect with her the way Jirou was. He made the conscious effort to do so. He was replacing her spiritual and emotional loneliness left behind with the death of her husband. She only hoped that she was doing something similar for him for he too had lost a spouse. She wouldn't hesitate to take up her sword and kill anyone if it meant one of her most important of people would be saved. A lesson she gained from her late husband's demise.

"True...but would it be your doing, or my own, Miya-dono?" He smiled at her and nodded in return. He knew how she would respond.

"Both. It would be our doing." She said as matter of fact. Both were far from strangers to the ways of killing after all, but held their incredible strength in check by knowing the weight of each life they took. The power to end life was one where reasoning and responsibility took precedence. Adhering to this code was yet another drawing point between them. The two turned their heads at the same time as Minato was coming down the hall, putting his backpack on and getting ready to head to the University.

"Uh...good...morning, landlady, Musashi-san." The young man said, cheeks flushed. He could have sworn the two had been holding hands just a split second ago. Even creepier though was that they both had looked at him at the same time, their expressions neutral which cowed Minato. He got the feeling he interrupted something.

"Morning, Sahashi-san! Have a good day at school! Oh yes, Musubi-san has left you a bento down on the kitchen table, so please don't forget it." Miya said to him, offering a friendly smile, as did Jirou. Both she and Jirou saw as Minato left down the stairs, though he seemed more likely to bolt out of fear at how similar the landlady and older tenant's mannerisms were. Jirou turned to Miya.

"Well, Miya-dono, Ikki-san and Musubi-san are likely waiting to get some training in." The two went downstairs, getting back to their routine. Afterwords, Jirou decided to go out as a Shinobi at around 5pm today, but had promised to take Kuusano to Teitou Park for a good portion of the day, since she had been really good for the others. He packed some food and treats Miya had made for them, placing them in a cloth wrap and then tying it on his back.

Jirou had heard of Teitou Park but had yet to take Kuusano there, usually taking her to small parks that were more local around Maison Izumo. Yukari and Shiina weren't able to make it, leaving a text that something had come up, so it would just be Jirou and Kuusano today. According to some logistics Matsu got for him regarding the park, it was the biggest one in Shintou Teitou, and was for the most part right in the center of the borders for each area within Shintou Teitou which were all considered cities themselves and bore the names of the four cardinal directions. It also possessed more grassy areas and trees to give it a forest like theme, adding on to both Jirou and Kuusano's interest in it even further. The two had taken a cab to reach it.

Teitou Park

"This is quite nice." Jirou observed. He held Kuusano's hand in his own, the two walking on a grass field to catch sight of a few different playgrounds near by, with a large forest path behind it. Some parents and their children were already playing there, and Jirou encouraged Kuusano to try and make friends closer to her age. Jirou had talked to some of the parents in a pleasant conversation while keeping an eye on Kuusano. A rumble in the distance cut into the tranquility of the environment barely ten minutes after their arrival to Teitou Park.

"Jirou-onii..." Kuusano ran up to him and grabbed hold of his hand. A plume of smoke was rising in the distance. Jirou spread his senses out further, feeling out some Sekirei in the area. They were decently far away, but Jirou was sure a fight was going on somewhere. Jirou had always packed his Shinobi attire if it was really needed, however he never packed his ninjatou for it raised too many questions due to its size. He had a cache of kunai which were much easier to conceal. He picked up Kuusano. The other parents and their children were already evacuating, so Jirou was sure casualties would be minimal at best.

"Kuu-chan, I have to go there, but I want you to remain hidden if any fighting commences. Understand?" He spoke to her. Kuusano gave a nod in the affirmative, her small arms latching around Jirou's neck. He ran into the forest path, going until he saw the clearing where three Sekirei were fighting. Remaining hidden, Jirou donned his Shinobi gear, leaving the wrap of food and his civilian clothing with Kuusano as he analyzed fully what was going on, the child peeking at the fight from just over Jirou's knee as he remained knelt low by the base of the tree.

"This is rather troublesome..." The male Sekirei mutters. Jirou catches sight of a Human hanging back from the fight, possibly an Ashikabi. The male Sekirei that was knelt on the ground and clutching his bleeding arm was alike to his fellow brethren, Shiina and Homura, in Jirou's eyes. The man was fair haired, the silver strands spiked about around his head. Dressed in all black, besides the yellow scarf wrapped around his neck, he held a sheathed blade with the hilt covered in purple cloth in his still good hand.

"Heh, you're not bad at all. Guess it's to be expected from a Single Digit Number." A tall and lithe female Sekirei with long green hair said, twirling the bo staff she wielded expertly. She wore very little, an open front and shoulder-less top of white and violet and violet hued skirt that barely covered her legs. Light skin tight black gloves and stockings adorned her limbs. Not far beside her was another scantily clad female Sekirei dressed in a skin tight clothing that left little to the imagination, all of it seeming to be held together by a single metal ring below her breasts. She had no physical weapon, and so Jirou was sure she was a hand to hand fighter like Musubi. Her hair was cut very short, much shorter than most women would.

"Sekirei #5, Mutsu. Are you sure you still want to put up a fight? I tell you now that Higa-sama is a just Ashikabi and will make good use of your strength and skill. How can you know he is not your destined Ashikabi if you keep resisting like this?" Spoke the Human that stood a few feet behind the two female Sekirei. It was clear he was the authority over the two female Sekirei. He was dressed in a black suit and sported a yellow tie around his neck. He shifted the glasses higher upon his nose, his demeanor calm. The male Sekirei, identified as Mutsu, got to his feet.

"If he's an Ashikabi that wants to see if I react to him or not, he should have come here himself instead of sending some lackey with hired muscle. That makes me want to deal with him even less." Mutsu said, fist clenching around his sheathed weapon. Jirou could see that this was another one of those forceful winging attempts. The new thing about the situation that Jirou encountered however, was that it seemed as if the Human was answering on an Ashikabi's behalf. Jirou wondered if the Sekirei with him were even his own or just ordered to follow him. Kuusano pulled at the wide sleeve of Jirou's uniform.

"Jirou-onii, Kuu-chan wants to help you." The child whispered to him. Knowing Kuusano's powers allowed her to manipulate things in nature like grass and trees, Jirou pondered for a moment what to do. He could handle this by himself, but Kuusano could prove useful in defending the male Sekirei if necessary.

"Can your powers reach them from all the way back here, Kuu-chan?" He whispered back. The child nodded.

"Alright, entangle those two women. I will ensure this fight ends quickly otherwise." He ordered, rising to his feet and using stealth to move towards the battle unseen. The other Human had already been talking while this was going on.

"You know how it is, though. With less free Sekirei around, we as Ashikabi have to increase our sphere of influence. The best way is to buckle down even harder. It is even rarer to find a Single Digit Number like yourself nowadays. You'll have little choice once you've been taken to Higa-sama for winging. Toyotama, Ichiya, capture him." The Human ordered. The female Sekirei advanced. The Sekirei armed with the bo staff attacked first, but Mutsu guarded with his weapon before shooting his leg out to kick her away, evading a kick to his injured arm by the unarmed one, Ichiya.

Mutsu was about to strike her, only to be struck in the side by Toyotama. That allowed Ichiya to jump in and grab either side of his head, rearing back to send a knee crashing into his face. Or would have, had the grass not grown so suddenly and wrapped around her legs to immobilize her. Mutsu was able to break free of her hold, slamming his sheathed weapon into the right side of her torso to send her on her back a few feet away, the tall grass like vines ripped up from the ground by the force of his attack.

"What the...?" Both Toyotama and the Human said. The bo staff wielding Sekirei smacked some more of the growing grass before they could entangle her as they did Ichiya.

"Call them off, or I'll take your life." Jirou was behind him, a kunai held to the man's throat. The three Sekirei looked in surprise.

"Kakizaki-sama, that's...!" Toyotama gripped her bo staff more tightly, breaking her hold free of the vines holding the staff in place. She growled, knowing she could not reach the Ashikabi in time from the Shinobi.

"The white ninja..." Ichiya muttered, ripping the thick grass vines from her legs so she could stand. The range Kuusano had utilized had been harder for the child to manage than she thought it would, but she was glad that the two female Sekirei were no longer occupied with attacking Mutsu now.

"So Kakizaki is it? What is your decision? Make it quick, I am feeling rather impatient this afternoon." Jirou drew the kunai tighter, breaking the skin of Kakizaki's throat enough to draw a few trickles of blood. Even though he only had about half a glance on the Shinobi, that was enough to make him fear for his life. He saw the eyes of a monster, of a demon without qualms about ending a person's existence. Normally the man was well in control of his emotions even during times of high stress, but he felt true fear when he gazed into the Shinobi's eyes. Jirou didn't want Kuusano witness to this violence, hoping she could not see the cut Kakizaki was sporting on his neck

"Fall...back..." Kakizaki said finally, barely able to breath. Jirou removed the small blade from his throat but did not let him off so easily. Kakizaki hollered in pain as Jirou kicked him in the right arm, exactly at the elbow to break it. Kakizaki fell to the ground, cursing in aggravation of his newly broken arm. Jirou didn't want Kuusano to see this, but he also knew letting the man go free without a warning was foolish.

"You...you bastard...my arm!" Kakazaki snarled through clenched teeth, fear forgotten for a moment as if gave way to anger. Toyotama and Ichiya tried to use that moment to gain on Jirou with tremendous bursts of speeds. Jirou intercepted them, only vaguely wondering why Kuusano had ceased using her powers. Toyotama had been slightly closer and he knew what she planned to do, and so parried her bo staff deftly when she thrust it forward before squaring off with her and slamming the pommel of his ninjatou right in her chin to topple her. Ichiya sent a roundhouse kick to try and send him off his feet, but Jirou crouched under her leg before sweeping her still grounded one. He rolled and flipped his other leg out, his foot catching Ichiya in the back of the head before slamming her face first into the ground. She had been knocked unconscious, her body limp.

Toyotama had recovered, already swinging the bo staff in a wide arc to catch Jirou in the back, but he performed a back flip in the air to evade and sent his foot crashing into her face. She fell on her back as he landed on her, his foot planted against her throat. In his hands he held her bo staff, and she hadn't realized when he had taken the weapon from her. Now it was held over her face, ready to smash her head into the ground.

"You've lost. Get your Ashikabi and fellow Sekirei and be gone from my sight." He spoke firmly, releasing her and allowing her to get up. Toyotama sneered.

"You've got a death wish, white ninja." She said as he threw her bo staff back to her, and she planned to attack him again upon catching it.

"Not if the person behind you doesn't allow it." Jirou mentioned. The words caused her pause, feeling something touching the back of her neck, where her Sekirei Crest was located. She caught sight of Mutsu, who aimed his sheathed blade there. She hadn't realized when he had moved to get at her back.

"I'd do as he says...I've got no qualms about taking your life for what you did to me, but if the ninja is letting you go, I'll comply just this once...but go ahead and give me a reason not to." Mutsu said in a no nonsense tone, and Toyotama knew she had to comply. Grumbling, she left and took an unconscious Ichiya and injured Kakizaki before jumping off the scene. Kuusano came into the clearing, running up and clutching Jirou's hand, much to Mutsu's surprise when he realized she was a Sekirei. He couldn't dwell on it long though, as Jirou addressed him.

"How did you end up injured? You're not a reckless warrior in the least. You could have taken those two easily if you wanted to." Jirou said to the other male Sekirei. Mutsu sighed, seeing as Jirou was someone who could read into a person quite easily based on auras. Mutsu was somewhat accustomed to it but was still learning it's intricacies.

"That man, Kakizaki, was apparently ordered to try and expand the forces of Sekirei for his master who goes by the name of Higa, Izumi. He is an Ashikabi that holds the most sway in the East City. I was one of the ones on that list, but they had already bribed another Sekirei to aid them, telling her that defeating me would prove a test in seeing if she was worthy of being by Higa's side. That likely won't happen since I defeated her, but she was actually far more powerful than those other Sekirei...but they used the distraction of a one-on-one Sekirei Battle to injure me just as I concluded the fight with her." Mutsu explained, still favoring his broken arm.

"Why bribe and not capture? They didn't want to force wing her like they did you?" Jirou asked. Mutsu shook his head.

"Are you aware of the Scrapped Number?" He asked. Jirou had no idea what he meant.

"Scrapped Number...? I've never heard the term for a Sekirei like that. Why is she referred to as such? She cannot be winged or something?" Jirou asked.

"I'm not sure of the story, but needless to say no Ashikabi could wing her even if they tried." Mutsu offered, knowing little more about her. Jirou let go of Kuusano's hand and offered up his red scarf, using it to create a makeshift splint for the male Sekirei. Mutsu appeared surprised suddenly when Jirou got closer to him.

"You...? You're..." Mutsu was clenched his fist around his weapon, having feelings of elation. Jirou's eyes narrowed.

"This is rather strange...tell me...can Sekirei have Ashikabi of the same gender?" The Shinobi asked.

"It is...but I just reacted to you...I'm more surprised you were able to realize it so soon." Mutsu said as shock took his expression.

"I've known for a little while now actually. The feelings you displayed are the same as some other Sekirei I know, this child included. I've winged no Sekirei though." That threw the male Sekirei for a loop.

"They've been reacting to you, and you haven't winged them yet? I won't lie, I think that's the first time I've heard of an Ashikabi who doesn't willingly wing Sekirei." Mutsu pondered aloud.

"I've my reasons for it. Perhaps someday I may, but not anytime soon I wager." Jirou's words made Kuusano frown a bit, but she remained quiet. Jirou turned towards her.

"Kuu-chan, find Matsu-san's cellphone. I need to get in contact with her." He said as he knelt down in front of her. She found the device and placed it in his hands. Mutsu became tense.

"Matsu-san...your not talking about the ~Pervert~, #02 Matsu, are you?" Mutsu questioned as Jirou secured the tightness of the splint while the phone was ringing.

"So it would seem you know of her. But we are getting off track, there is another injured Sekirei to aid. Please lead me to the place you fought the other Sekirei. Hurry." Jirou said. The Shinobi felt another aura out there, but it was dim. No wonder he hadn't sensed it so easily before. He hoped he wasn't too late.

"Alright, but tell me...you're not planning to take me to Maison Izumo, are you?" Mutsu said as he led them further in where he had his first fight of the day. Jirou did not get the chance to answer immediately as he relayed some information to Matsu on the other end of the line. He closed the phone and gave it back to Kuusano.

"Yes, actually. Do you have some history with the landlady there as well?" Jirou asked him.

"Maison Izumo...I'd rather not go there. Seeing Matsu would be bad enough...but the Hannya as well..." Mutsu muttered. He really didn't want to go there. The history between the three likely went quite far back, Jirou believed. Mutsu didn't inherently hate them, but he would rather not have to depend on them for aid if he could avoid it.

"I apologize, but I know of no other place to take you. If you would rather go and get your wound treated somewhere else, I shall leave you be, though are you really sure you want to be out alone and risk being preyed upon by other Sekirei or Ashikabi?" Jirou told him. Mutsu sighed.

"Fine...heading to Maison Izumo would be the best course of action, injured as I am. It doesn't do me much good to get myself in a similar predicament after being saved." The male Sekirei complied. The trio had made their way further through the park, having to act quickly since choppers were starting to buzz around the area to investigate, and a foot patrol of police and MBI soldiers were likely going to start sweeping through the park to investigate the earlier disturbance. With Matsu jamming the satellites as Jirou often had her do, the choppers were the only source of info from the air. Luckily the trees kept the three hidden.

They soon reached an area that showed signs of a struggle, parts of the ground were upturned as if something had been ripping through it. Remnants of ice shards were also present but starting to melt. It reminded Jirou of the Yuki Onna's powers.

"This is bad. Kuu-chan, stay up here with Mutsu-san." Jirou said to the child as he saw the figure of a woman face down within the biggest crater. If she had clothing, she no longer possessed them, only scraps of what might have been a white shirt once upon a time. Otherwise she was completely bare. Jirou made his way to the naked body and inspected her back, seeing a jagged cut there. Her light brown hair was cut short but splayed messily on her head.

Knowing he had little choice, Jirou stripped down of the top of his uniform and protective gear followed by the mesh shirt that went underneath. He had only his mask on over his face now, while his protective gear had been placed in a small pile so he could get to work securing her injury. He took a kunai and picked at a decent clump of ice so he could make a sort of ice pack to cool at her wound, having to pack it within his mesh shirt until it was long enough to cover the wound entirely. It had been just enough.

"Excuse me." Jirou offered a bow in respect, before moving her gently up so that she was in his lap, so he could tie his outer shirt around her body to keep the ice compressed over her wound. She, like other Sekirei, possessed great beauty and assets to matched. That was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment as he took in her appearance more critically, noting that she was somewhat bony due to a lack of proper nutrition. This likely contributed to her slower healing ability.

Another thing he noticed was the strange red mark on her forehead, knowing it as the crest of a Sekirei. Matsu had explained to him that as proof of being winged, the Sekirei Crest would manifest on the back of a Sekirei near the junctions of the neck and shoulder blades. Yet this Sekirei had it emblazoned on her forehead, in much more open view to others. He carefully placed her on the more level ground outside of the crater once he made his way out of it along with carrying his equipment.

"This could be a bit troublesome. I'll need to carry her with both hands, and won't have access to my grappling hook if I don't want to risk opening her wound more. Plus we must evade the authorities. Mutsu-san, can I ask a favor?" Jirou said to the male Sekirei while he went to Kuusano and packed up his remaining gear in the travel wrap. Mutsu nodded.

"What is it you need?" He asked.

"Can you use your high jumping ability like other Sekirei without aggravating your injured arm too gravely?"Jirou inquired as he went back to the unconscious Sekirei. Mutsu nodded after a moment.

"Of course...you want me to take the little girl with me while you take the Scrapped Number? Her wound is pretty deep though, are you sure you don't want me to take her while you take the little girl? You'll be able to use your grappling hook that way, right?" Mutsu questioned him to be sure.

"You only have one good functioning arm at the moment, so Kuu-chan will be much easier for you to carry and keep strain from your injured limb. I can still travel the roof tops...in fact, in our current state of undress, it would not do for me to be sneaking a naked young lady through the streets. You two go ahead first but be sure to remain out of sight of choppers in the immediate area." Jirou explained. Kuusano complied with what Jirou said, holding onto Mutsu's good hand.

"Let's hurry, Mutsu-onii-chan." She said cutely. Mutsu shrugged, a wry smile on his face. The male Sekirei leaned down and picked her up.

"Alright, but how are you going to travel the rooftops without that grappling chain?" He said to Jirou.

"I will be traveling much like you do. You will see it soon enough." Jirou spoke, but did not elaborate what he meant. Mutsu wondered why he was being so cryptic, but decided to do as he was told since time was not on their side at the moment, and leaped high into the air, already knowing where Maison Izumo was situated. Jirou saw as he went out of sight.

The Shinobi was glad that he had gotten Matsu to hack the satellites again, because he saw no other way to transport the injured Sekirei gently without the use of one of his Ninjutsu abilities. They were his trump card and he wanted as few people as possible, no matter friend or foe, to know of them until a decisive moment of combat required one of the powerful spells. Sensing no one nearby to spot him, his arms spread wide as he focused and gathered his ki. His right arm moved a quarter circle upward towards the sky while his left did the same but aimed towards the ground.

Blue ribbons streaked around his frame and flowed like water. The sapphire colored aura enveloped his body briefly when he brought his hands close together almost as if a gesture of prayer. Unlike the immense defensive properties of the Ikazuchi spell, the Fushin spell was water based with prime focus on superior mobility that was hard to match, allowing Jirou's body to be light enough that he could run at blistering speeds and jump incredible distances. He could even float in the air like a bubble for brief moments during his jumps.

Before knowing of Sekirei's own incredible mobility, Jirou had known of no other who could travel such vast distances so easily as one of the Oboro Ninja when evoking the Fushin spell. The Shinobi carried the injured Sekirei bridal style before leaping high in the air, hovering over the trees before landing on a tall branch and leaping from it towards another, reaching the city area in only two powerful jumps. He caught sight of Mutsu and Kuusano on the rooftops and trailed them, cutting the distance between them in a few short leaps. The two other Sekirei looked at him in awe, for he was matching Mutsu jump for jump.

"You weren't kidding...you're really keeping up with me. But, how?" Mutsu called out to him.

"Same as you, I believe. We should reach Maison Izumo quite soon at this pace. Let's hurry."

Maison Izumo, In the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

Jirou and Mutsu landed on the roof of the inn. They didn't enter immediately into the inn as the Shinobi caught sight of Minato and Musubi walking and talking through the hall Jirou would usually enter from the window, and so stayed out of the two tenants line of sight. Jirou realized it must have been close to 4pm if Minato was around and finished with school for the day. He didn't have long before he had originally intended to head out as Shinobi, and pondered if he should just remain at the inn tonight.

When Minato and Musubi were out of sight, Jirou was ready to enter along with Mutsu when he heard the Sekirei in his arms groan weakly, beginning to stir ever so slightly in his arms. Her eyes flitted open and he saw that her eyes were blue, darker than his own. She and Mutsu became tense when they caught sight of each other, but Mutsu relaxed first seeing she was not intent on fighting any further, and she returned her gaze towards Jirou.

"Be at ease. You have been injured, so it's best you move sparingly or not at all." He advised her, getting only a weak nod in the affirmative. He nudged the window open with his foot and entered silently, then closed it behind him with his back once Mutsu and Kuusano were inside as well. Miya came from her room, having sensed their return, Matsu trailing her.

"Oh wow, Mutsu-tan, long time no see! How's it going?" Matsu asked with a cheeky grin. Mutsu groaned in annoyance.

"Hello you two. Its been awhile, but we can catch up a bit later, right?" The male Sekirei spoke curtly as he placed Kuusano on her feet. Miya nodded and lead them towards her room. Jirou had never gone to her room for anything else besides praying at her late husband's shrine within. The Sekirei in Jirou's arms had not cast her glance away from him the moment she had awoken except for the brief moment of taking in Mutsu. Outwardly, her expression hadn't changed one bit, but there was a growing curiosity in her aura regarding him and why he saved her. Miya opened the door to her room and ushered them all in. Matsu finally caught sight of the Sekirei in Jirou's arms and her lack of actual clothing.

"Why doesn't she have any clothes?" Matsu asked, the remains of Jirou's shirt just barely covering the modesty of her breasts. His top was used to clamp the compress more closely to her body, but she had nothing else, not even panties. Mutsu addressed her.

"When I fought her, all she had was a decrepit shirt on and nothing else. It was pretty distracting to fight her like that to say the least...but I had little choice. She fought awfully hard though for a Sekirei who could never be truly winged." Mutsu explained, as he eyed the Scrapped Number, but she didn't register his glare at her.

"Oh were you thinking sly thoughts then, Mutsu-tan?" Matsu had a perverted smirk on her lips. Mutsu sighed.

"Please just stop right there with that line of thinking." He spoke sullenly.

"Your still no fun to tease it seems." Matsu said, though her visage became serious as she started to work swiftly to get a proper splint on Mutsu's broken arm to keep it tucked at his side. Jirou placed the other injured Sekirei gently in a sitting position so Miya could get to work properly dressing her wound. But the injured Sekirei kept a grip on his forearm, as if trying to keep him by her side. She was too weak to utter any words. She still held on even as he rose to his feet. This didn't go unnoticed by Matsu and she had a sly grin, seeing as she was done with Mutsu, decided to rib Jirou in good nature later on. Now wasn't the time for it though.

"Jirou-san, Mutsu-san, you both should leave with Kuu-chan so I can bandage this child's wound and get some proper clothes on her." The landlady said to the two males, as she noticed Kuusano watching everybody curiously while hovering closest to the Shinobi. The injured Sekirei still had a grip on Jirou's forearm. She was intent on him not leaving. Jirou placed his free hand on her shoulder.

"You're in a safe environment. I'll return before long, but you must be patient." He spoke to her while gazing deeply into her eyes. The injured Sekirei noticed Kuusano in front of her now, at eye level with the child from her current sitting position.

"Safe." The little girl said as she placed her tiny hands over Jirou's larger one which were still on the injured Sekirei's shoulder. The Sekirei's stare lingered with Kuusano's for a few brief moments before she complied by letting go of him so he could stand fully. Both men left the room, Jirou taking hold of Kuusano's hand and leading her away.

"Here's your scarf by the way. Thanks for your help, Jirou-san. But just why do you refrain from winging Sekirei? If you don't mind me asking." Mutsu said solemnly. Jirou took his scarf back.

"I had a wife whom I still mourn for. I am not ready to move on to a relationship after having lost her fairly recently." Jirou told him. Mutsu nodded in understanding.

"I see. Truly, I am sorry for your loss." He said sincerely, and Jirou nodded in approval of his words.

"Thank you. Tell me, though, I was unaware that same gender relations could be pursued by Sekirei and Ashikabi...do you feel regret for having reacted to another man?" Jirou questioned of the male Sekirei. Mutsu shrugged.

"I'll admit that I did wish my Ashikabi could have been a pretty lady...but I don't wallow in despair at the cards I was dealt. Still...would you be bothered if I found another Ashikabi to serve?" The male Sekirei looked out the window.

"You feel that I have no use for you. You would rather be winged with someone who had such need of your services, but you want a mutual understanding...not the forced methods of that Higa individual." Jirou said as he remained just outside the door of his room. Mutsu chuckled.

"Well, seems not much can be hidden from you...your perceptive abilities are amazingly keen. But you're right that I don't see you having any real use for me. You're very strong, stronger than even Sekirei...not in the purely physical sense are you superior, but your skills are so finely honed...no Sekirei could contend with that balance of mind and body you possess." The male Sekirei mused. Jirou could admit this Sekirei was at an intermediate stage of his training in aura reading.

"Your own perceptive abilities are quite good. I won't fault you about finding an Ashikabi that you could wholeheartedly serve, but I ask that you be smart about the situation. At least remain here long enough to heal. It should not take as long since you as Sekirei heal faster than Humans. Agreed?" The Shinobi said as he turned to Mutsu. Mutsu nodded.

"Agreed. Well, I guess I'll go and rest downstairs for now. Oh, and I'm guessing not everybody here knows you as the white ninja?" Mutsu regarded him. Jirou nodded.

"Only those two you saw briefly, Sahashi, Minato and his Sekirei Musubi. Sahashi-san can keep a secret, but Musubi-san still has some trouble with that...so I've decided to keep them in the dark, mainly her." Jirou explained to him. The male Sekirei had a bit of a pensive expression when he heard Minato's family name, but simply nodded in understanding and walked off. He moved with familiarity of Maison Izumo as if he had lived here before, or at least seen the layout to be comfortable knowing where everything was. Jirou had changed over to his civilian attire and checked in on Miya's progress with the other Sekirei along with Kuusano. They ran into Matsu who was leaving from the direction of Miya's room.

"Matsu-san, how is the other Sekirei doing?" He asked her.

"Miya-san's got her patched up now, but she's getting some clothes on her as we speak. If you're going to check on her, it'd be best to knock first." She advised. Jirou nodded.

"Thank you. One more thing though, Mutsu-san called her a Scrapped Number. Were you aware of her, Matsu-san? Of why she is called that and cannot be winged?" He asked her.

"I'm not sure of the circumstances that made her end up that way, but I've already been thinking about hacking into some of MBI's archives to do a little investigating. You'll be the first to know when something comes up, Jirou-tan! You can count on me!" She gave a salute, winking at him. Jirou offered a smile, bowing to her.

"Thank you very much, Matsu-san." He spoke genuinely, for her wealth of knowledge was truly a trove of hidden treasure. Matsu blushed. She had been hoping to sneak in her ribbing about him and the other Sekirei, but it fell apart by his appreciation of herself.

"Uh...y...yeah...anything for you..." She said in a soft tone, glad she hadn't been a complete stuttering mess at least. She realized that neither he or Kuusano were there anymore. She turned and saw them already knocking on the door to Miya's room and waiting for approval to enter. Regaining her baring, she knew she had some things to obtain for her Jirou-tan.

Jirou and Kuusano were allowed into the room shortly, hearing Miya's approval to enter her room.

"Good, you two came just in time. I've found some old clothing that fits our new guest...comfortably enough." Miya was folding up some other clothing she had gotten out for the Scrapped Number to try. The injured Sekirei was standing up on her own two feet. She wore a white kimono that Miya had given her, but her assets were definitely impressive and didn't allow for the kimono to cover much of her showing cleavage from view. A black obi around her waist secured the garment over her figure. Jirou understood what Miya meant, as not even Matsu showed that much cleavage.

"You look like you're feeling better. Do you have a name, ma'am?" Jirou asked of the injured Sekirei. She nodded.

"A...Aki...Akitsu..." Her voice sounded somewhat scratchy, likely from disuse of interacting with others.

"A lovely name. I am Musashi, Jirou, and this child is Kuusano." Jirou bowed before her, Kuusano mimicking the motion.

"Jirou-san, I've already told Akitsu-san to keep your secret. I'm going to start preparing dinner soon. She will need to eat quite a bit, since she seems a bit malnourished." Miya spoke as she placed the clothes back in her closet space. Akitsu walked up to Jirou, and looking at how Kuusano held his hand, grabbed his free hand with her own. Her hand was cool at the touch, lacking the full warmth that Kuusano's hands had. It wasn't unpleasant, but definitely different.

"Oh my...she is quite attached to you. I hope this isn't the beginning of some Hero Complex." The landlady noted.

"Hero Complex? An interesting term, Miya-dono. Well I suppose is has been awhile since I've had dinner with all of you, so I will be staying in the remainder of the evening." Jirou could feel that Akitsu had a lot of self worth issues, wanting to cling to someone who had use of her no matter the capacity, so long as she was not abandoned. That was likely why she fought hard against Mutsu originally, Kakizaki saying that she would finally have use and a purpose under someone. The Shinobi hoped he could eventually have her break this destructive nature she had entrapped herself in and realize that she was as important as any other living, breathing being. His hold over her hand became more firm, hoping she would find the contact more reassuring. Her expression didn't change but she did gaze as their interlinked fingers.

When they walked out of her room, they ran into Musubi. Akitsu's Sekirei Crest had made Musubi intent on challenging her, since the younger Sekirei was taught to fight any Sekirei openly given the chance. Before she could start throwing punches however, Miya had already intervened, having bonked Musubi over the head before reiterating the rules of Maison Izumo to her as the normally bubbly Sekirei was rubbing her head gingerly.

East City Hospital, In the Eastern City of Shintou Teitou

"Kakizaki...how's your arm?" A young man spoke, gazing out at the city while he sat in a fine chair behind a desk. He wore a sharp all white suit. Kakizaki kept his cool, though knew he had failed enormously. While bowed, he eyed his splinted arm with disdain. He was not one to make excuses though and would take full responsibility.

"It's alright, Higa-sama. The real problem is that I failed you in obtaining a powerful Single Digit Number on top of not trying to retrieve that Scrapped Number Sekirei. She was quite powerful even though she lost to Sekirei #5. I await my punishment, what ever you see fitting." The man bowed low before Izumi Higa.

"The white ninja revealed himself to you. I suppose that couldn't be helped, plus you take responsibility and man up more than any other who serves under me. Kakizaki, I'll give you a chance to right your failure...but just once. You're as expendable as any Sekirei and Ashikabi out there." Izumi spoke while turning to face Kakizaki, who was still bowed low in respect.

"I understand fully Higa-sama. I will get right on to setting things into motion." He said before turning on his heel and leaving.

"See that you do." Izumi looked towards the ceiling.

'Both MBI and myself...this white ninja is being quite meddlesome, stepping on our toes as he pleases.' The man began to ponder.

"MBI leaked that footage, most likely as a means to decrease that ninja's mobility. He's slippery though...this farce is dragging on longer than it should, I know it, Minaka knows it...what a crock of shit!"

Unknown

Minato wasn't sure where exactly he was, and wondered how he got here. He appeared to be in a dark alley. He caught sight of some shadows walking nearby, also seeing a street and went that way to get out of this dark corner. He saw the two people walking past, both female.

"Um...excuse me, but where am I?" He asked them timidly, a fear taking hold of him as he started to recognize something about the two woman as being familiar somehow.

"Oh no..." He mutters as they turn to face him.

"You!" All three claim at once, pointing to one another. Both women bore matching outfits though of different hues. They had long black hair cut in the same style and dark eyes. Eyes that were currently wide in shock and recognition.

"The S&M Twins that attacked Musubi-chan!" Minato wasn't sure what made him so brave at the moment to say something like that so blatantly, and might have chalked it up to insanity as he noticed lightning fizzing from their hands.

"I dare you to say that again!" Though they looked exactly alike for the most part, it was the Sekirei in the dark blue outfit of the two who has a significantly larger bust by comparison to her sister that spoke up first, her expression and posture showing her short temper. She was also the one that was starting to generate a more violent aura of electricity around her body, cowing Minato and making him take a step back. He realized it was foolish to try and take them on without Musubi around, though he hadn't wanted a confrontation to happen in the first place.

"Hold it, Hikari...he's an Ashikabi, so we can't do anything to kill him." The one in the pink leather outfit spoke, calmer and more level headed than her sister.

"Well, yeah...but Hibiki...!" She didn't want to take the S&M comment lying down, for that wasn't what they intentionally wanted to appear as, it just so happened to be a similar style to the peculiar fad. Minato breathed a little easier now, glad for that rule of the Sekirei Plan. It didn't last.

"So long as he lives, we can hurt him...within reason." Hibiki said, sneering at Minato's direction. The twins waited in delight as they saw him squirm a bit under their gazes.

"Shit, shit, shit...!" Minato had turned on his heels and ran.

"Where do you think you're going?!" They roared as one. Minato dared not turn around to look back, already seeing the flashes of light illuminating the shadows he was running through. He felt his body flung through the air along with tense pain overtaking him. Flashes of light flooded his vision.

Maison Izumo, in the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

Minato was up with a start, totally disoriented until he realized he was in his futon tangled in his blanket. He rubbed his face, feeling it slick with sweat. He stared at the digital clock at the head of his futon. It read 0248(2:48am). Minato untangled from his blanket to get it back in order. His fingers still felt as if a jolt of electricity coursed through his body.

"That was...weird." He muttered as he lay back down, attempting to get his much needed sleep. He thought it some strange dream in his befuddled subconscious, not aware in the slightest of what it represented more deeply. The calling of Sekirei to their destined Ashikabi.

To Be Continued...


	7. Chapter 7

Super Shinobi X(Cross):

The Story #1

Disclaimer: Characters from Shinobi series and Sekirei series are the rightful property of their respective owners.

Note: Sorry for the delay, but this chapter is quite long. Once again, I want to thank everyone who shows their support for this story, and Cassius Brutus for beta reading. Just a warning in advance though, this chapter is very Jirou driven, so things get rather serious. I hope it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the story overall though. The next chapter is definitely going to be much lighter in the heart warming department by comparison to the tone of this one and is already about to be sent through for beta reading.

Chapter 7

Maison Izumo, in the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

"Those are bold words, Jirou-san...I'm not sure if it would really work. Not even Sekirei normally would be allowed to stroll though the upper levels of MBI besides the Disciplinary Squad members themselves. Though I suppose you might meet better success with your stealth abilities." Mutsu spoke. It had been a few days since his rescue from Kakizaki and his Sekirei. Jirou was now discussing with the male Sekirei a means of infiltrating the MBI Tower. It had all started yesterday when Jirou voiced his concerns to Matsu: Why do MBI choppers bring back dead or severely injured Sekirei back to the tower after one such fight occurs?

Unfortunately, that information was kept strictly under wraps. Matsu speculated that MBI kept the information in a phantom database that held no connection to the typical ones she could hack, or they were writing it down instead of putting the data on a computer file. Unlikely, but whatever the case was, it raised Matsu's thoughts about Jirou's insight. It was true that a dead Sekirei was taken from their Ashikabi, the Ashikabi not allowed to mourn the Sekirei's demise and have the body removed themselves for proper burial if they so chose. MBI simply sent choppers to snatch up the body and leave a distraught Ashikabi if he or she was physically present to witness the fight, which was often considering how connected Ashikabi and Sekirei could become. Even those Ashikabi that had the resolve to take up the dead body and remove it from the battleground itself would still be pursued by MBI to be relieved forcefully of the body.

Matsu had mentioned that injured Sekirei and their Ashikabi could go into MBI Tower itself since the building was equipped with many recreational facilities for bonding time or relaxation. Matsu knew that it was possible to revive a dead Sekirei as well, since they were still aliens despite the Human appearance, so death worked differently for them. Though she had known of one case of revival only in passing and that it had been a sacrifice from one Sekirei to revive the other. The Sekirei revived had been only a child so she had room to grow. Full grown Sekirei killed and revived would leave them as simply living husks without memory, or so Matsu hypothesized. No other known case existed to gain further detail on the effects of revival. What MBI was really doing with the bodies was unknown. Jirou did not like the sound of it though in any case, for if what Matsu believed was the case, it could mean MBI could mold a grown Sekirei for any purpose. Likely a possible weapon since the company had a personal military presence after all, but Jirou hoped he was wrong in that guess. Matsu had to agree that something more seemed to be going on, though the actual truth eluded them. She could only hope that they were both wrong.

Originally Jirou thought of bringing Mutsu in through the front under pretenses of getting one of the staff to take a look at the male Sekirei while Jirou would sneak off to don his Shinobi attire and infiltrate MBI from the bottom up. The idea was shot down by Mutsu since MBI knew which Sekirei were winged or wingless, so Jirou could not pretend to be an Ashikabi for Mutsu. The Shinobi then proposed that they make use of a Sekirei's injured or deactivated state from a one-on-one battle to sneak in. Sneaking on the chopper was easier since it would take Jirou higher up on the building rather than start from the bottom.

"Regardless, it shall happen today, Mutsu-san. I must turn this escalating situation to my advantage." Jirou was not mentioning this to Mutsu alone. Ikki and Uzume were close by as they already knew Jirou as the Shinobi. Minato was at school, and Miya had enlisted the aid of Akitsu and Musubi to help her with grocery shopping. With so many new mouths to feed, especially Sekirei who typically ate more than a Human due to higher metabolism, Miya needed more hands to buy extra food as well as help with meal preparation. Shiina had come to visit, and was rounded up for the task as well as watching over Kuusano today since Yukari was also at school at the time. Both she and Minato had ended up getting into the same university.

Minato and Yukari were also blood related brother and sister. Yukari and Shiina came to visit late the very next evening from when Mutsu and Akitsu were brought to the inn. Yukari knew her brother had been kicked out of his old apartment but had no idea he had started to reside at Maison Izumo because they usually only met at school and he had never told her, which earned him an earful from her that night.

"Hmmm...I guess it would be easy for you, Jirou-san. You do have a knack for finding a Sekirei battle." Uzume mused with a chuckle. She had just barely evaded the responsibility of having to go be recruited by Miya to get the groceries. Miya had been about to knock on her door while Uzume was feigning sleep when Shiina came up to meet with Kuusano. The poor male Sekirei had a feeling he knew why there was considered a scary Hannya hanging around the Northern City. Since he and Kuusano wanted to spend the day together though, that left Jirou quite free to plan a move against MBI. Ikki had been away to shop for a few necessities for her room and had unknowingly evaded Miya that way.

As Jirou helped Miya around the house more than any other tenant, he was usually charged with holding the fort whenever Miya was away from the inn, though Jirou appointed Mutsu as his temporary helper since the male Sekirei was the next most level headed after Jirou and Miya. Akitsu was a bit hard to detach from Jirou's side, but her overall health was starting to improve and Jirou would usually offer words to bolster the Scrapped Number's self esteem. Though she was still far from revealing any hint of emotions, she was little by little becoming more adventurous. Jirou told her to learn of the world's beauty through her own eyes, and that's what she was trying to do. Her injury had healed faster than Mutsu's once she was properly nourished, for despite how big it was, her injury was a cut and not a broken limb. His arm was still healing, thus she was considered healthy enough to be enlisted by Miya for grocery shopping, and in the vein of Musubi who wanted to learn to be a better cook for Minato, Akitsu was hoping to learn how to cook meals for Jirou as a means of being useful to her savior.

"Sekirei are easy enough to sense out. The only real challenge will be to not intervene. But if one death may be the deciding factor to cut the head off at the source behind this game, I must take it." The Shinobi spoke solemnly but with conviction. There were no illusions in his tone about taking out Minaka given the chance.

"Sir Jirou, please be careful...now that Higa's Ashikabi and their Sekirei are after you too, your movement is becoming limited around the city. I wish I...we could help you out more." Ikki spoke next, her voice trailing a bit at the end. She still felt she was very much indebted to Jirou for saving her life and that she was miles away from being able to repay him in some way. He was so strong in many aspects aside from the physical that it was quite hard.

"Think nothing of it, Ikki-san. I will go out much earlier today. Now in fact might be a good time. I've conditioned MBI to expect me showing up later on in the day. Higa has likely picked up on that as well. The security around the city will likely be lax enough." Jirou rose to his feet and made his way back up to his room, going to check up with Matsu for a bit beforehand though. He entered the hidden room, finding Matsu typing furiously on a keyboard, her annoyance showing in her aura.

"Dammit...another dead end. Something must be seriously going on, if they don't have that info anywhere on the servers..." She muttered to herself. She sounded tired, likely sleep deprived from working on hacking MBI's deepest files.

"Matsu-san." He called to her, and she hollered in surprise, having not heard Jirou entering. He hadn't tried to be sneaky, but the sound of his entrance had been drowned out by her blazing fast typing.

"Jirou-tan! Geez, I got to stop getting surprised by that...when did you get here?" She asked after getting her beating heart back down to respectable levels. Usually she could hear when someone entered by the rustling of the curtains right inside the doorway of her hidden room.

"I apologize for that, but I just entered. Doesn't sound like you're having much success in searching MBI's databases. Were you able to get something on Akitsu-san's condition at least?" The Shinobi asked her.

"It took longer than I expected but there was an article showing the report on how her condition became what it was. She is originally Sekirei #07. Due to one of the scientists involved in her adjustments and tuning being too overconfident and careless, it caused her to no longer be able to become winged like other Sekirei. The head scientist of the division fired the man and his team who worked on her, but the damage had already been done. She was assigned as a Scrapped Number and was not permitted to participate in the Game." Matsu explained. Jirou sighed, his expression mournful for the Scrapped Number's situation. But what's done was done, dwelling on the past would not help her, and she was at least alive and free in the world.

"So she is not an actual participant to the Sekirei Plan? She's quite powerful though, so I can see why someone like Higa would desire to possess her strength, much as he would Mutsu-san's...what was to happen to her if she wasn't going to be in the Game though?" Jirou questioned. Matsu shook her head, not knowing the true answer.

"That's one of the things I've been trying to figure out. She wasn't suppose to be released, but that same scientist that was fired tried to assault her out of anger, according to the report, so she defended herself and found the chance to escape from the tower when she was to be locked down originally. No reasons were given on what MBI's designs were for her, but the Chairman hasn't sent anyone out to try and retrieve her, so maybe he's allowing her to participate? That's just a guess on my part though." Matsu told him. Jirou nodded then turned back towards the doorway.

"Well, I may have a chance to find out. I'm going out as Shinobi right now, Matsu-san. I need you to disrupt the satellite so they don't know where I'm coming from within the North City. I need them to bring an injured or dead Sekirei back to the tower. I will infiltrate the tower by sneaking on the chopper they send." Jirou explained. Matsu gaped at him.

"Hold it Jirou-tan...you're going to MBI Tower...alone?" Matsu questioned. Jirou spared a nod as her eyes bore into his back.

"Yes, and for that reason, I want you to tell me some things to expect while infiltrating the building." Jirou cast her a glance, and she could see that he was truly serious about getting into the heart of MBI.

By the Shopping District, in the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

Akitsu, Musubi, and Shiina were trailing behind Miya, who was going into a market to acquire a variety of meat products, saving this part of the trip for last since they were usually frozen and couldn't be picked up first while they were getting all the other food. Musubi was physically the strongest, having the largest burden of the other Sekirei. She carried them happily on her back without any problem. Akitsu herself had the second largest, the two bags gripped in each hand and held by her sides. She had a wrap of bandages tied around her head to cover up her Sekirei Crest. It still raised some questions from the locals, thinking she was injured, but no one spoke of it aloud.

Miya had been asked a few times by some of the vendors about Akitsu's condition, but Miya would give a simple answer and then redirect their attention back to purchasing the groceries. The Sekirei Crest would likely raise more questions instead of Miya just saying in a quick tone that the girl had an injury from falling and move on to conduct business. Shiina had a hand on one bag while the other held Kuusano's. The little girl was trying to balance a flower pot on her head. It had been a present from Miya, and already had a sapling in the soil within. Kuusano wanted to practice growing the flower in it when she got home, hoping to show her Jirou onii-chan.

Akitsu was looking up at some of the clouds as she waited outside the market with the other Sekirei for Miya to return. Movement caught her eyes, and a small gasp left her lips without her realizing. The Shinobi was using his grappling chain to swing from the rooftops, landing on a the tip of a flagpole with ease. He was dropped in a crouch at the top of it, his scarf billowing with the wind. It was Jirou, she knew, but she hadn't seen him fully garbed as a Shinobi before besides the glimpse of it's partial state when he had saved her. The gentle eyed tenant of Maison Izumo was gone, his eyes hard and cold. He looked down right into her own eyes. His gaze seemed to pierce into her own despite how far the vantage point. With the overall appearance of his attire, Jirou looked quite fearsome and dangerous to her. Yet at the same time, a heroic figure from legend. Having saved her from death and giving her purpose to live for something, he truly was her hero.

"Akitsu-san, are you okay?" Shiina had caught her attention with that question, hearing her gasp. She looked to the male Sekirei and spared a nod, turning to look towards the flagpole again, but Jirou was no longer there. Jirou had already made his way from their location, looking for some Sekirei battles in the area. Nothing was really going on in the North City, though with someone like Miya around, it was unlikely any Sekirei Battles would escalate if they were to occur in the North City. He decided to head towards the South City for a change of pace. He could travel to each city fairly easily from the air like this.

Higa had control of most Ashikabi and their Sekirei within the East City, so Jirou doubted he would find much activity in regards to Sekirei battles there either. They would likely travel to other cities and bring the fight to those Ashikabi or try and get them to join forces with Higa himself. Jirou had yet to see the South City besides from a distance anyway.

Teitou Highway South, leading to the Southern City

Karasuba simply watched the horizon of water and poles of the bridge flash past her vision. She wasn't sure why she had taken Natsuo's offer to tour about the city so early, and she could get around much faster via her high jump compared to the crimson colored sports car he owned, but it was nice to travel in style every now and again. The car was a convertible and had the top down currently, making their hair swiftly blow about from the velocity of their travel. Traffic wasn't too congested, so Natsuo drove the car faster than normal.

"So Karasuba-san, it seems the white ninja hasn't been sighted in the past couple of days. No doubt hanging low. Seems the East City is also trying to search around the local area to find him as well." Natsuo spoke up as he passed a slower moving car. Karasuba shrugged.

"I'm sure he get's tired of being a ninja all the time. He's been making my job of tracking him rather difficult to say the least." She said, but did not turn to acknowledge him otherwise.

"Maybe it's being a bit too presumptuous of me, but you seem kind of down." The Ashikabi observed. Karasuba and him rarely interacted, Benitsubasa was mainly at his beck and call if he so wished, while Haihane was warming up to him. Karasuba would joke with him every now and again to see if she could get a rise out of him, but he was good at keeping himself calm and aloof. Karasuba had complimented his level head, her only real positive feedback to him.

"I need to kill someone. It's been a couple of days after all. The white ninja ain't around, but maybe if I attack another Sekirei he might show up again. Or not...he didn't appear when I offed #86 in the East City." She spoke casually.

"Oh yes, #86 Katsuragi, correct? You were hoping that he would appear to step in and save her? Perhaps he didn't because she was already winged? Or maybe he just happened to be taking a break like you said." He offered. Karasuba chuckled.

"Doubtful, but a possibility. Maybe I should off a wingless Sekirei in the South City just to find out? We are headed there after all." Karasuba smirked.

"You do need to kill someone, so of course it's worth a shot." Natsuo reiterated.

"You're a good thinker, Ichinomi-san. It almost makes you as sexy as the white Ninja. Too bad you don't have a single kill under your belt." Karasuba mused, her gaze aimed at the road ahead, her eyes becoming predatory.

"Oh? So you find the white Ninja attractive, even though you've never seen his face? That's rather amusing to say the least Karasuba-san." A soft chuckle left his lips. Karasuba also chuckled.

"A funny joke, Ichinomi-san, but you know the real reason why I could dig a guy like our masked friend." She said.

"Because he can kill so easily, not unlike yourself? That comes to the forefront of my thoughts." Natsuo said. He didn't sound offended that she seemed as if she liked the white ninja to an extent. He honestly could care less, believing he could find an attraction to the ninja as well for his power. Or physically looking upon the man unmasked if that possibility ever arose. Natsuo was a homosexual after all. He had a feeling the ninja was extremely fit considering some of the complex acrobatics he could pull off.

"Bingo." He heard her say.

"But in all honesty, you would like a rematch. Or so I believe. You never did get a chance to prolong the fight between you two originally so no test of skill could truly be gleaned." He deduced, passing up yet another car.

"You've got me well figured out. Though I wouldn't say I was hiding it at all...when the unstoppable collide, only one shall survive."Karasuba said, the last part sounding recited from somewhere.

"Poetic of you, Karasuba-san." Natsuo mentioned as they turned off from the freeway. Karasuba didn't respond, and he figured she was no longer in the conservative mood. The Black Sekirei was thinking back to a dream she had just last night, not unlike the first one she had with the ninja. They fought in that land cast in gold from the sun. He had recited that piece to her, just as he had that other one in the first dream. She had tried to change tactics to keep him a reasonable distance, but he had been able to match her offense with his defense and closed the distance to cut her down once again. She needed to know what the reality was, if she could truly defeat and kill the ninja. Then she could no longer be filled with doubt and focus all her strength where it needed to go. To the other two people of this world to test her might against. Sekirei #01 and Sekirei #08, or rather, Sekirei #08's replacement.

South Bound Park, in the Southern City of Shintou Teitou

It had taken Jirou quite awhile to locate any Sekirei Battles today. It was already noon. He had been out for nearly four hours scouring the city. But he was finally met with some success, sensing a decent group of Sekirei in one of the South City's parks.

'This appears promising.' Jirou noticed what seemed to be a forceful winging attempt but turned into a competition by two Ashikabi and their Sekirei. Jirou was glad for the shade of a few tall trees growing nearby the otherwise open field with a pond not too far off. He sat still within the branches and observed.

"You really want to test your luck? You only brought one Sekirei while I brought three. Doesn't seem likely you'll win, right? I'm sure you agree with me." The Ashikabi talking was a teenager, garbed in a strange white uniform with gold trim and frills. His brown hair was shoulder length and and matched the color of his eyes. As he said, he had two female Sekirei and one male Sekirei by his side. The tallest one was the meek looking male Sekirei garbed completely with a cowl secured over his body by a clover shaped clasp. As was the norm with most male Sekirei, his hair was a fair tone of silver. Jirou could sense that this Sekirei was merely putting on an act and was more vicious than his initial appearance might let on.

Next were his female Sekirei. One was a brunette with long hair tied back in a long ribbon, having a black sleeveless vestment of some sort over a white dress and had black stockings over her legs. A stylized scythe was resting across one shoulder. The other had light hair that was cut short and framed her face, orange in hue. A hair clip kept her bangs from falling over her eyes, and her uniform quite honestly seemed like the sailor fuku outfit along with black gloves and stockings Jirou had seen on a television show with Kuusano once, which was rare since he usually never did watch that strange box. She had a weapon as well, but unlike the scythe of the other Sekirei, it seemed to look like a toy hammer but of far greater size.

"Just great...you're that rich kid from the South City...the strongest Ashikabi from the South. Hayagami, or something, wasn't it?" The other Ashikabi was an average man dressed in a coat and had a beanie over his head. His Sekirei was a petite girl that seemed to have half a collared shirt with a tie around her neck, with black gloves and tall boots covering her limbs and a miniskirt that was very indecently short in Jirou's eyes. Her hair was a dark black and cut short. She seemed to be a hand to hand combatant like Musubi and Ichiya.

"That's Mr. Ashikabi of the South Mikogami, Hayato to you!" The youth said, confident in himself to the point of arrogance.

Effectively trapped in between them and the pond was the female Sekirei they were planning to claim. She possessed ashen gray hair that was cut short and displayed in a spiky trail at the back of her head. Her dress was a violent hue, and appeared quite unique to Jirou. It seemed like a fusion eastern and western styles to a degree, not quite a kimono, but not quite a qipao either. Frilly lace rose up from the collar of her top to cover the back of her neck as well as one peaking out from her purple obi under her breasts. Wide sleeves covered her arms and were kept in place by blue chords. One of the more distinctive things he noted was that she possessed red framed glasses that had a strap to keep them on her person.

"If I may inquire...I don't have a say in this, do I? I've reacted to neither one of you." She spoke up, voice calm and collected despite the situation. Her body was not meant for fighting, and Jirou pondered if she was something similar in regards to Matsu. An Information Sekirei. Sekirei seemed to have specialties that tied them to certain classes. A good number seem to fit in hand to hand or possess physical weapons, and this category was physically the strongest and fastest in order to keep close to do damage. Many others were in possession of mid to long range capabilities via elemental powers at their disposal like fire and lightning. Defense and assist types were rare, but one's like Matsu who were capable of obtaining and using information were even rarer. They assisted from even further away, usually no where near the battlefield.

"Judging by the information gathered, you're one of those data using Sekirei, right? There's not a whole lot of you which makes you pretty valuable. I like collecting the rare ones, okay? The only thing that sucks is that you're still not one of those Single Digit Numbers I hope to get one of these days. But I can't be too picky. Especially with that Sekirei Guardian and now that white Ninja snooping around the city and protecting wingless Sekirei. So no, you'll be coming with us." The boy called Hayato said. She did not visibly show her disappointment, but it could be felt through her aura by Jirou. Hayato then turned to the other Ashikabi.

"Tell me...you work for the Ashikabi of the East don't you? I can't say I like his way of doing business. I ain't like that, trapping up other Ashikabi and Sekirei to be used as fodder. Let's do this fair and square. You brought one Sekirei, and I brought three. We'll have a one-on-one between your Sekirei and one of mine. If you win, I'll let you take #22, deal?" He said to him. The Ashikabi eyed him suspiciously.

"You serious? The other two won't interfere?" He asked. Hayato nodded.

"Of course I'm serious. I follow the rules when it comes to a Sekirei Battle. I was going to pick the Sekirei to use, but as a sign of good faith, I'll let you decide which of mine you want your Sekirei to fight. The one with the hammer is Yashima, the one with the scythe Yomi, and the tallest one in the cape is Amehane." He had his Sekirei line up next to each other so he could introduce them. He was confident in his own victory. Jirou could agree that he would win, for each of his Sekirei were stronger than the other Ashikabi's.

"What are their numbers?" The Ashikabi asked. Hayato smirked.

"There's no fun in knowing who could be the most powerful one. Besides, number doesn't always determine the victor. The bond is also important too. Just pick one and..." He was interrupted by a crimson sports car driving up and parking right next to the limousine that belonged to Hayato. Karasuba and Natsuo proceeded over to them. Jirou wondered who the Human with Karasuba was.

"Well, hello there. It's a nice day, no?" Karasuba said with a pleasant smile, but it was as fake as the rest of her demeanor. A long cloth covered item rested across her shoulders, no doubt her nodachi.

"Oh no..." The female Sekirei of the unnamed Ashikabi said in a timid tone.

"What's up, Oshino?" He asked her. Karasuba was the one to respond to his question.

"How nice...seems my reputation precedes me." Karasuba's smile became a grin.

"That's MBI's Dog...the Black Sekirei..." Yomi muttered, clutching her scythe more tightly. Hayato was filled with recognition at those words. He would interact with his Sekirei a lot in regard to the Game.

"Whoa...so you're the leader for the Disciplinary Squad right? The Black Sekirei...that makes you Karasuba, correct?" Hayato inquired as he peered at Karasuba unafraid. Her smile grew.

"Why yes. A sharp young man to be sure. I can see why you would be the strongest Ashikabi in these parts, Mikogami-san." Karasuba said.

"Why thank you, Karasuba-san!" The boy said cheerily.

"Man this situation is just getting ridiculous...now a Disciplinary Squad Sekirei and her Ashikabi?" The other Ashikabi spoke, more to himself but loud enough for the others to hear.

"Unfortunately, I'm merely a friend of Karasuba-san. She is still wingless. So to most she would be quite the catch, no doubt. Oh but of course, I'm Ichinomi, Natsuo." The blue suit wearing Ashikabi introduced himself. Jirou perked up at this. Then he had correctly assumed the Ashikabi was the man that Benitsubasa of the Disciplinary Squad adored. Regardless, neither one of the Disciplinary Squad members were winged yet at this point.

"No one asked for your name!" The other Ashikabi said in annoyance. Hayato was interested in something else entirely.

"Oh wow, so Karasuba-san is still available? This must be a really lucky day for me! Finally a chance to get a Single Digit Number!" The boy said with enthusiasm. Karasuba started to laugh harder at his statement.

"My...quite bold of you Mikogami-san, unfortunately you can look but cannot touch. I take it the one with the glasses is a wingless Sekirei as well? If so, I'm going to kill her now, feel free to watch." Her smile was still in place as she revealed her nodachi and drew the blade out from its sheath. The other wingless Sekirei remained outwardly calm, but there was the spike of fear in her aura.

"I can't seem to catch a break today. If it's not a forceful winging, it's forceful death. How trite." She said, her composure holding the entire time meant she was quite good under prolonged periods of pressure. She readjusted her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose as they slipped down a bit.

"Whoa, hold it Karasuba-san I'm trying to add her to my collection of rare things as well, so it's kind of important she lives." Hayato said. He seemed blissfully unaware of the true danger Karasuba posed.

"You make it sound as if you have a say in the matter, which you don't." Karasuba's smile became smaller, though she still kept up the appearance of being passive.

"Well...how about this? If one of my Sekirei can defeat you, you and #22 get winged by me. If you defeat one of mine, I'll cut my loss and let you take her." Hayato wagered, much to the dismay of his Sekirei who were not feeling up to fight MBI's Dog. Karasuba adopted a thoughtful expression.

"Hmmm...oh I suppose that would work. But let's deal with the small fry first." She aimed her blade towards Oshino.

"What? Wait...I didn't..." The Ashikabi mentioned, but Karasuba was a blur of motion, in front of his Sekirei instantly before she could even try to defend. The blade of the nodachi pierced her cleanly through the chest and through her back. Karasuba lifted the Sekirei high into the air, Oshino's expression of shock still plastered on her face. She hadn't even stood a ghost of a chance. With a swing of her blade, Karasuba hurled the Sekirei's body a few feet away where it rolled along the grass for a few moments before stopping face first on the ground.

"Oh fuck...Oshino!" The Ashikabi attempted to make his way to her corpse, but Karasuba's bloody blade was at his throat, halting him.

"She's not your Sekirei any longer. It's best if you left now, unless you want to join her?" Karasuba's honey smile was still in place, but her eyes were filled with blood lust. The Ashikabi turned tail and ran.

"Now then...wait, where did that Sekirei go?" Karasuba noticed that the Sekirei by the pond was no longer there. Natsuo, Hayato, and his Sekirei looked and sure enough the information Sekirei was nowhere in sight.

"What the...? Dammit, did she run away during the commotion? No fair!" Hayato shouted in dismay. While everyone's attention had been to Karasuba killing Oshino, Jirou had decided to intervene, for he only needed one dead Sekirei. He could only hope Hayato was smart enough to realize that none of his Sekirei were a match for Karasuba and leave without confrontation. The Shinobi had used stealth to reach the wingless Sekirei from behind and clamp a hand over her mouth and the other to lock her arm behind her painfully, using joint manipulation to force her quickly over by the trees. He allowed her to catch sight of who had her, her expression showing her surprise for the first time from her typical sated mask of an expression. She complied and did not scream or protest when he picked her up and jumped near soundlessly into the thick tree branches to provide cover.

"It's you...the white ninja." She whispered to him. Jirou nodded. He did not want any unnecessary noise if it could be avoided no matter how small while they were in hiding. He raise his hand and used sign language as a means to communicate, hoping she would understand it. It wasn't quite the same as the hand signals he would use to coordinate operations with his fellow Shinobi and Kunoichi in his time, but it was something he took interest in learning and Matsu was able to retrieve the information when he inquired it through observation of an old deaf couple when he took Kuusano to a park around Maison Izumo once.

-Can you understand me?- He communicated to her. The Sekirei's eyes widened slightly in understanding, and brought up her hand as well.

-Yes. Thanks for the help.- She responded back.

-Keep quiet until they leave. Keep the flowing part of your clothing compacted towards your body. If they decide to look around, it will be harder to spot and discern. Do it slow to minimize rustling.- He communed, showing how his scarf was tucked close to his body. She did the same with her sleeves and skirt, tucking them close. She took his queue to observe what would happen for right now.

"Damn, well that's annoying. It's like she was whisked away without a trace. If she jumped, you'd think we would have seen or heard it." Hayato walked around the field for a bit, even looking up the tree the Shinobi and Sekirei occupied, but Jirou had gotten them rather high up there in order to allow the leaves and branches to provide ample cover from someone looking straight up and spotting them from underneath the tree.

"Oh well...I guess there's still yourself, Karasuba-san." Hayato said, his mood perking up again. Natsuo's cellphone started ringing.

"Karasuba-san, the chairman is calling." Natsuo mentioned as he answered the phone. The conversation was brief. Natsuo looked to Karasuba again.

"Looks like some Ashikabi and Sekirei are trying to defect by the West City. They played smart and spread out, causing Benitsubasa-san and Haihane-san to be split up. Their handling things well enough, but two Ashikabi and their Sekirei were able to slip past them while the others are serving as bait. Your assistance is requested before they get too far or they are free of the city's limit. I'm already sending the info to your phone as we speak." Natsuo said. Karasuba took out her cellphone and checked it.

"Got it. You go ahead back to MBI, Ichinomi-san. This is exactly what I need to let off more steam. Mikogami-san, unfortunately duty calls." She jumped off the scene, not allowing Hayato to have any further say. The teenager sighed.

"Damn...well, I guess that couldn't be helped. So far this day has been a bust. So, Ichinomi-san, what's your story? You work at MBI?" Both Ashikabi were making their way back to their respective vehicles. One might find it unnerving how decentralized the youths were to witnessing the death of a living being, but as Shinobi, Jirou was exposed to such things at a tenderer age. He openly disliked how they offered no prayer or sign of respect though, and prayed for Oshino himself though he did not know her at all.

"You could say that. Right now I'm a candidate for the Disciplinary Squad's Ashikabi, but I don't have any other Sekirei of my own." Natsuo answered.

"Hey that's cool, do you think I could compete against you for the position? Where do I sign up? MBI itself?" Hayato said, 25% joking and 75% completely serious. Natsuo chuckled.

"You have to be at least eighteen or older, for starters." He told the boy. Hayato scowled.

"Damn, I'm only fifteen. Who knows what would be happening with the Game in three years!" He said, as a butler stepped out of the limousine to open the door for the boy Ashikabi and his Sekirei.

"Indeed. Well, a pleasure meeting you, Mikogami-san. MBI should be sending a chopper here soon to pick up the mess since they've machines that track a Sekirei's vitals to see if one has been downed. Enjoy the rest of your day." Natsuo said, as he entered his car, turned it on and left back for MBI Tower. Once Hayato's vehicle left, did Jirou turn to the Sekirei he saved and decided to talk.

"Well ma'am, you're free to go. I must remain here." He said. She brought her hand to his mask, planning to remove it, but he did not allow it and intercepted. He wondered why it seemed as if Sekirei were starting to react faster to him for some odd reason. Kuusano, Ikki, and Matsu hadn't taken effect this fast, but like Mutsu, this Sekirei had reacted instantly. Her face remained serious and analytical of his actions despite her feelings of elation rather than look offended.

"Is there a problem with seeing my savior's face?" She asked him. Jirou nodded.

"You were planning to remove my mask and kiss me to be winged for I can identify your reaction. I do not participate in the Sekirei Plan as of yet. There may not even be a Sekirei Plan after today if my mission is a success." Jirou said. The Sekirei observed him carefully for a moment.

"You...are you planning to terminate Minaka, Hiroto, the Chairman of MBI? If I may presume...you are planning to sneak into MBI from a helicopter that is being sent to retrieve the body of #85 Oshino? Is that correct?" She questioned, outwardly not phased that he could read her so well to know she reacted to him. Jirou nodded.

"You've got quite the knack for analyzing things. You are correct in your presumptions. By the way, what's your name?" He asked her.

"Sekirei #22, Kochou. Could I inquire of your name at least? Or is that a secret?" She readjusted her glasses again. Sensing that she was curious and would keep the information secret, he decided to give it.

"Jirou. Can you safely get down to ground level? I would like to remain hidden here for when the chopper arrives. If you need a safe place to stay, look up Maison Izumo in the North City, but be very careful not to end up in a similar situation." Jirou offered. He and Miya had cleared up more spaces to be used as rooms for new tenants, though it started with the additions of Mutsu and Akitsu. Mutsu might not stay there permanently once his arm healed, but Akitsu was likely to remain and would need a source of income soon if she wanted to maintain her board. Jirou and Minato were the only ones who maintained board for others besides themselves, Jirou for Kuusano and Minato for Musubi. Every other tenant had a job of their own otherwise.

"Will I see you there later on then?" Kochou asked, mainly asking indirectly if he resided there as well.

"It may not be anytime soon, but yes, you will. Be safe on your way there, Kochou-san." Jirou replied. She leaped down from the tree and started making her way towards civilization again, being mindful of his words to stay careful of other Ashikabi and Sekirei roaming about. The MBI chopper sent to transport Oshino's body to MBI arrived about fifteen minutes later. When it departed, Jirou took an impressive leap as if flew by the tree to use his grapple chain to zip up and grab hold of the landing treads before using his spider walk to remain on the underbelly of the chopper.

MBI Tower, Tallest structure of Shintou Teitou

The MBI chopper had landed, a dead Oshino on a stretcher being led inside. There were different helipad locations along the outside of the tower, this MBI chopper having landed on the lowest leveled one, which was the fifth floor of the building. The chopper departed soon after. Jirou disengaging himself and following behind to gain access inside the building. Matsu had warned him about security cameras and doors that would bar access without a proper key card.

Jirou knew it would be difficult to sneak in a place that was likely well lit. He would need a disguise that was convincing, but for now he would follow behind the soldiers leading Oshino's corpse inside. It had been wishful thinking that the chopper might land on the very top of the tower, at the highest helipad. Matsu had said that was where the Chairman would likely be located. Jirou would not complain about it though. Had he been outside scaling the tower he would have likely been caught by satellite feed near instantly. At least he had gotten inside. So far the corridors were mainly dark, small lamps on a low setting being the only source of light. They were apparently in a lounge area. Jirou caught sight of a short haired woman in a long white coat while he had remained deep in the shadows.

"I'll only need two of you to move her. I'll lead you to the infirmary on this level." Her tone held much authority and Jirou figured she was likely one of the higher ranked employees within MBI, or perhaps all doctors within the pharmaceutical company held that much sway in the building. She would still be worth interrogating if she worked on injured or dead Sekirei. As they departed from the room the other two left the same way but at a leisurely pace.

"I gotta take a piss, I'll see you around." One of the Soldiers came back to the area to use the restroom, and that gave Jirou all the opportunity he needed. He stalked behind the man and sized him up. They were both about the same build and height so Jirou could procure the Soldier's uniform easily enough. Once the Soldier was done relieving himself, he was struck at the base of the neck and toppled over, only to be caught and dragged to one of the stalls. Jirou left him in only his under garments while the Shinobi fitted the uniform over his own. His sword would be a little troublesome to hide, but he hid the top of it under the flak jacket he now wore over a black Soldier uniform. Jirou spared a small prayer for this soldier to find peace in the afterlife before stabbing him though with a kunai and let the corpse's blood flow into the bowl of the toilet. Jirou could not risk him being awaken from unconsciousness and alerting of an intruder and so had to kill him. It should take much more ample time now for anyone to find out one missing soldier was dead in a locked stall. The stench of decay should mingle along with the already horrible smell of the public restroom.

Now in a decent disguise, Jirou made his way around the all lit halls. He was glad that a few other Soldiers passed by him on patrol and simply gave him nods, which he returned. He would mimic the movement and mannerisms of the other soldiers to appear more ordinary and not stand out. The Soldier outfit also came with a key card. Jirou could bypass a decent amount of rooms with it and was following towards the infirmary based off the signs in the hallways. He wanted to interrogate the high ranking employee for she sounded like she was very competent and likely had some more internal knowledge about the Sekirei that others would not, at least that was what he had felt of her aura for the brief moment he was able to in the lounge area.

'Damn...' Jirou had gotten in a bit of a predicament as his key card did not give him access to a particular door that led towards the infirmary. He noted a security camera swiveling about a few feet away. It had been facing him briefly before turning to view the other side of the hall. He would openly admit to being impressed with such a device that allowed surveillance without a physical person about. He pondered of breaking the lock and forcing his way inside, when the door opened. Two soldiers came out, the second holding the door opened.

"Yo!" One of them said to him a friendly manner. Jirou mimicked him.

"Yo." He said and gave a small wave in return. He held the door and was proceeding in when one of the soldiers stopped him.

"Whoa, where are you going? Soldiers like us don't normally have access to the infirmary areas and lab areas. We had to be let in for a specific reason." The second one said. Jirou turned to face them.

"Sorry...I have to take a piss though and don't want to go all the way back. I'll be quick." He said, catching sight of a restroom sign just within the first room of the infirmary area, hoping they would just allow it and be on their way. Otherwise they would have to die and it might alert MBI of an intruder prematurely.

"Well there was a restroom in that room I think. Alright but you really better be quick so you can resume your post. We're off duty now so we won't cover for you." The first one said. Jirou nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll be quick. Have a good night." He said as casually as he could.

"You too." They let him be and walked off. Jirou made his way into the restroom and scanned the area. He felt that it was taking too long to get around in disguise, especially when doors were mostly locked and only allowed certain key card access. He wished it had been more like infiltrating a castle in his time where he could easily open any shoji panel. He saw a vent for air conditioning. There was one luckily built over one of the stalls so he went in and closed the door behind him then locking it before standing on the toilet seat and opening the grate. He shucked off the soldier uniform and placed as much of the gear to hang on a coat hook within the stall on the back of the door, putting the machine gun atop the toilet piping. Lifting himself into the vent and finding it large enough for a Human to crawl about, he hopped fully in. He replaced the grate behind him then dug out a kunai from his belt and placed it for a marker.

'It's a good thing I've been picking up as many of the thrown kunai I've already used. I will eventually have to make more though since it is inevitable that I will lose some forever and none are in bulk in this era. Homura-san could probably help me with smelting some small metals to form them. Another thing to ask some time when I return to Maison Izumo.' He traveled and placed kunai at the corners he turned, aiming the point of them in the direction he would travel so he could pick them back up and make his way back to that bathroom if he so needed to. He would peer down through the different grates to see the rooms he was entering over. He caught sight of some Humans in white lab coats similar to the woman's own. Others had some Sekirei and their Ashikabi, though they chitchatted of nothing very important to Jirou's investigation, not until a particular conversation with a Sekirei and her Ashikabi in one of the room Jirou ventured over.

"Well, guess we got here in time to stay the night. That's good. You alright, Kuno?" The young man asked his Sekirei. He wore a simple burgundy shirt under a black collared shirt with short sleeves that was left unbuttoned and wore a pair of blue jeans. Jirou could not see his face for it was covered by a blue cap. But he did have a similar hair cut to Minato's own, or so Jirou believed.

"Sorry, Shigi-kun. If I were stronger, I could have been more useful to you. But..." The Sekirei, Kuno, was wearing a blue dress uniform somewhat akin to a high school girl's own, though not the fuku style of Yashima. Her blonde hair was cut short, above shoulder length just slightly. She spoke in soft tones, and the way she carried herself was shy and passive. She was not confident like other Sekirei Jirou had seen. Perhaps because she wasn't so well endowed like some of the other Sekirei Jirou had seen, her frame petite.

"Don't worry about it. We're under the protection of MBI for now...but damn, if only we could get out of having to participate in this stupid Sekirei Plan. I don't get why the Chairman wanted Sekirei to fight in this death match style tournament. Is there something he's trying to accomplish from all this?" He asked aloud, more to himself than to her. Kuno simply clutched her hands together to her chest, feeling pretty low with herself as she lay on the sole bed in the room. Jirou pondered the young man's words in conjunction with what he overheard Natsuo say to Karasuba earlier today. It seemed that once Ashikabi winged Sekirei, they were not allowed to opt out of the game despite their feelings about it or the Sekirei themselves. Jirou hadn't met any Sekirei or Ashikabi so far who openly wanted to leave the game, which still made the game more akin to a prison with the city itself as the cell so far.

Jirou decided to reveal himself to these two, hoping they would let an outsider to the Game like him in about the Sekirei Plan in more detail. They were sworn to secrecy but also seemed so discontent with the whole thing that Jirou was sure he could get them to tell him more and allow him to at least confirm some suspicions.

"What the...?" Shigi noticed the grate slide open since he had his face looking at the ceiling while he leaned into his chair. He stood up and made his way cautiously towards the vent. Jirou came down without making a sound, and before Shigi could call out in surprise, the Shinobi lifted his hands up.

"Easy. I'm not here to fight you or your Sekirei." Jirou spoke calmly, removing his sheathed ninjatou and placing it on the ground. Kuno was also in a similar state of surprise. The young man looked more like Minato than Jirou originally thought, though a bit younger. Shigi gritted his teeth together, recognizing Jirou.

"You're...the white Ninja. You took down a chopper at the pier a few nights back. Some footage was shown of it on the news. How...how did you get in here though? MBI's locked up pretty tight unless you're an Ashikabi and Sekirei." Shigi said, noting that the Shinobi left his sword down as a sign of good will. The Shinobi looked around, glad there were no windows around here for anyone to see into the room.

"I'm trying to investigate the Sekirei Plan. I share your sediments, young man. There were only 108 Sekirei in existence yet they were ordered to participate in a game to kill off each other. I want to know why. Not being an active Ashikabi however, I have been left in the dark to many things but my own investigation. Tell me what you know, I swear I will breath not a word to anyone outside of this room." Jirou said, sitting in seiza position on the floor.

"Well, you were addressed as an enemy of MBI, so I guess an enemy of them is a friend of mine. I got no love at all for this stupid game so I'll tell you what I can, but I doubt it's going to be of much use. I'm Haruka, Shigi, by the way." Shigi was interrupted by Kuno.

"Shigi-kun, are you sure about this? We really know nothing about this white Ninja though." She said in a soft voice. Shigi sighed.

"Come on, Kuno, there's nothing to be lost from this and I get the feeling he's being truthful, so I want to help. Anyway, everything is under control of MBI in this city, and apparently the second stage of the game is suppose to be starting soon. The city is suppose to go into even further lock down, and even non-participants are going to be trapped within the city. That's all I got at this point." Shigi said after a moment of thought.

"So the Sekirei Plan is structured in certain stages...but how many are there? And what are the requirements to go to the next stage?" Jirou asked. Shigi turned to Kuno.

"All Sekirei are told a bit about the Sekirei Plan's stages. Kuno, tell him what you know." Shigi turned to his Sekirei, who was fidgeting.

"So you're really sure, Shigi-kun?" She asked him. The youth nodded.

"Yeah. Who knows, maybe the people he works for can get us out of Shintou Teitou? Or give us some protection at least for cooperating?" Shigi looked hopefully at Jirou. He really wanted out of this game along with his Sekirei to live out a peaceful existence. Jirou sighed.

"I don't want to disappoint either of you, but know that I do not work for any agency that could help you escape from the city so easily. I am doing this independently. I apologize." He bowed low to the duo.

"That's too bad..." Shigi's hopefulness deflated. Kuno put a hand on his shoulder, sparing him a beautiful smile. He clutched her hand tightly in his own. Jirou spoke up again.

"All I can offer is a meeting ground as friends. Currently I reside at the boarding house known as Maison Izumo. You can look it up and we can meet there as well. You will not have to deal with Sekirei battles while within its walls for it is well protected. I must keep my identity from both of you though at the moment." He told them.

"Maison Izumo, huh? That's in the Northern City area, right?" Shigi said.

"A fearsome Hannya guards the area. Those are the rumors anyway..." Kuno said, quivering at the thought of meeting an actual Hannya. Shigi had taken her to a museum once and one of the mask's fearsome expression freaked her out.

"I suppose you could say there is some truth in that statement...but I can't go into further detail on it at the moment either. Please, Kuno-san...I would like to know more of this Sekirei Plan. Time is of the essence." Jirou bowed low before her. Kuno decided to trust him as Shigi was.

"There are four known stages in the Sekirei Plan, while others might be added at a later time. Before being released to search for our Ashikabi, we were briefed about it in only a few small details. The First Stage is comprised of each Sekirei being released after undergoing adjustments...we then search for our Ashikabi, defeating Sekirei along the way if able. The First Stage will come to an end when at least 90% of all Sekirei are winged by an Ashikabi...are you following so far?" She explained to Jirou. The Shinobi nodded in understanding.

"So only a handful of Sekirei would remain wingless. What happens to them when the Second Stage starts?" He looked attentively to Kuno.

"Like Shigi-kun said...after a time, the Second Stage will begin and the Chairman will make an official broadcast for the start of each Stage. The remaining 10% of Sekirei will have to be winged in order to proceed to the Third Stage, and an Ashikabi...must have taken down at least one Sekirei with his own as a requirement to go to the Third Stage as well. During this time...Shintou Teitou will be under a complete lock down for the duration of the Second and Third Stage...people come in, but they won't get out." Kuno continued further. Jirou's eyes narrowed.

"So further death and destruction...any innocents could be caught up in a fight if no one can leave. What happens for the Third Stage?" He let his focus go to Kuno once more.

"M.B.I has 8 objects that must be collected to advance, so I guess you could say they act as keys...these were named the Jinki. An Ashikabi must obtain at least one and keep it secure in order to advance...eight Ashikabi and their Sekirei must survive and maintain a Jinki in order to advance to the Fourth Stage. These last eight and any remaining Sekirei winged by them will be allowed off Shintou Teitou and be flown to Kamikura Island, where the Fourth Stage starts. We were told there would be further steps to the that Stage...but what they are is anyone's guess." The young Sekirei said. Jirou pondered her words.

"Kamikura Island? Where is that, and what are these Jinki exactly?" He asked after a moment. Jirou had never heard of that island, but the name was clearly Japanese. Jirou had traveled much in his time, and wasn't sure if this Kamikura Island had undergone a name change like Edo to Tokyo or something.

"Kamikura Island is the place where Sekirei emerged from to be released into the city. We knew of the world only through television monitors while undergoing our adjustments, but that's all I know about it. The Jinki, I'm not sure about, I've never actually seen one myself. An older Sekirei might know." Kuno explained.

"All of what you were told was suppose to be under wraps, even to Ashikabi so they could not anticipate the change from one stage to the next. Kuno wasn't suppose to tell me, but I forced her to. I wanted to know what to expect if I could. I'm sure other Ashikabi have found out that there are at least four known stages, but nothing else at the moment. Something tells me that the rest of the information about these Jinki and whatnot was purposely withheld. The Chairman will probably explain them more in depth at the Third Stage." Shigi muttered.

"You want to be ready beforehand, that is a valid strategy. Now, for Sekirei that are slain, they are transported back to MBI. Why is that?" Jirou turned to Kuno once more. Her eyes were wide in astonishment.

"Uh...all we were told is that MBI would gather them for proper burial." She said after a moment. She sounded as if she never gave the thought deeper meaning and that was the way of things. Shigi crossed his arms in thought.

"Do you think...they bring the bodies back for something else?" He questioned the Shinobi.

"I've a feeling there is something deeper going on. A proper burial need not be kept from prying eyes if one wishes to mourn the loss of a loved one. I'm sure the body should be moved, but why not let the mourning Ashikabi do it instead of take the body away from them? I've only seen two cases where an Ashikabi would simply walk away from the body. The others I've seen would be on their knees clutching the corpse and crying freely." Jirou began to stand up, placing his ninjatou upon his back once more. With zero proof still in regards to MBI and the fallen Sekirei, Jirou would not tell them what he thought of the purpose behind it, for he could be completely wrong.

"I see your point now...that is a bit strange. Kuno...well for a lack of better words, Kuno's not the most offensive based powered Sekirei and in order to keep her alive, we've made it a point to try and flee any chance we can from a full on Sekirei battle." Shigi said, a small blush on his face. Kuno seem to curl more into herself.

"Rather be seen as a coward then be parted from the one you love. Not everyone can fight a battle head on. Knowing that is a means to survive. Pick the fights that you feel you can win and flee the ones you know you can't. Did anyone else recently bring a dead Sekirei around the infirmary area?" Jirou figured that maybe the woman doctor who seem to hold authority might have more answers to be gleaned from. Shigi and Kuno shared a glance.

"A dead Sekirei? Not that we saw, though it sounded like they were rolling someone to one of the rooms further down earlier I think towards the Lab area. That could have been the one. Why?" Shigi asked.

"I had to sneak aboard the chopper that transported her and get into this tower. There was a woman doctor who was there to greet the soldiers and have the body wheeled to the infirmary. I would like to interrogate her." Jirou said as he jumped to the ceiling and stuck to it much to the shock in the two people's eyes.

"I thought you were Human...how are you doing that?" Shigi asked in disbelief as Jirou popped open the vent once more.

"Unfortunately I cannot elaborate on it to you. Be safe and farewell for now." Jirou hopped back in and closed the vent to begin his search anew.

"He's gone...the white ninja sure does seem terrifying. To have destroyed a chopper by himself..." Kuno spoke softly to Shigi.

"Yeah, I'll say...but he's also incredible, like some kind of story book hero my mom use to read to me as a kid...well Kuno, let's rest up and maybe check up Maison Izumo tomorrow, it'll be dark soon." He said as he went and sat back in his chair.

"Okay...Shigi-kun, would you like to share the bed? It doesn't look very comfortable in that chair." She said gently, a blush gracing her cheeks. Shigi's own cheeks flushed.

"Uh..I'm...good for right now. But, uh...thanks, Kuno." He placed his cap over his face to hide the rest of his blush. Meanwhile Jirou had made his way further down the air vents, bypassing about seven other hospital wards before finally coming across the one with Oshino. Despite her being dead, the doctor had been patching her up as if she were still alive. It did not bode well with the Shinobi. The doctor was faced away from Oshino and the vent, typing something on a computer monitor. He carefully undid it to reduce the noise of it squeaking out of place. She then pulled out her cellphone and flipped it open, ready to call someone, when her free arm was wrestled behind her as a blade was pressed against her throat before she could even let out a word.

"Hang up the phone. Don't cry for help or I'll end your life." Jirou whispered to her. she folded it back up, disconnecting the call. She was composed for the most part, indicating her demeanor was strong.

"What's your name?" He said next.

"Takami. Sahashi, Takami." She said.

"Sahashi...? Are you a relative of the siblings Sahashi Minato and Yukari?" His words made her visibly bristle for a moment though she reeled in her surprise quickly and remained composed.

"I don't know who you're talking about. I've never met those two." But her aura told him she was lying.

"You are a relative. I can feel it. Rest assured I don't kill the innocent. Just as I can feel you do not share in the faith of this Sekirei Plan. Yet you won't stop the one responsible. Why?" He forced her to turn around, his blade thrust forward where her heart was located, his free hand still firmly around her neck.

"So it is you...the white Ninja I saw appear out of nowhere. Look, I'm friends with Homura, so I'm not your enemy. As for MBI's Chairman...He is Minaka, Hiroto, and he has too much political power to be touched by someone like me. He also has the backing of the most powerful Sekirei who are likely to succeed in this game, and are members of the Disciplinary Squad."Takami explained, keeping her awe in check of meeting the white Ninja for the first time in person.

"You said that you were aware of when I first showed up...then was it you who sent those men to try and retrieve me?" He asked after a moment, lowering his weapon, as she was not intent on fleeing.

"Minaka gave the order, but yeah, I was head of the operation. Which you foiled splendidly by the way. You were also able to keep Kuu-chan safe somehow also. For that, you've got my eternal gratitude." Takami shown with a more humble expression, bowing to the Shinobi to show her respect for his actions.

"All I got was this scar for trying to protect her from being captured and forcefully winged." She continued, tracing the scar over her left eye. It had luckily not caused blindness when she incurred it. Jirou twirled his wrist to bring his ninjatou back into the inverted grip he favored. Glad as he was to know she was trying to help Sekirei in her own way, he needed answers. And lots of them required time to be covered.

"I'm going to be frank with you, Sahashi-san. I know that there are at least four stages to the Sekirei Plan. But the fourth will be on Kamikura Island, which I've never heard of before beside where Sekirei first appeared, and what are the Jinki that must be collected in the Third Stage?" He asked. Takami looked surprised at this, but her expression became serious again as she regarded him for a bit.

"For not being an Ashikabi in this Game, you do know quite a lot about the intricacies of the Sekirei Plan. Well, to start off, the island is one nobody but a select few know of." She said.

"You're right, I've never heard of this island. What's so special about it that it would be used as a part of the Fourth Stage besides the Sekirei's birthing grounds?" For now he would let her give him the information he sought.

"It's where Sekirei were first discovered. It was Minaka and I...we were the ones that first discovered the spaceship that had crash landed there. That was back in the year 1999. It's an island that appeared in the Sea of Japan when it should have never been there. Though I doubt you want too many crazy specifics on how it got there?" She continued, and Jirou shook his head.

"It was because of the technology and the Sekirei that MBI was founded and able to become such a powerful influence around the world for it's technology was based off the much more advanced ones belonging to the Sekirei. The Jinki were artifacts that were aboard the ship. They are now to be the keys that allow entrance into participating in the Fourth Stage." Takami explained, waiting to see if Jirou processed the information given so far.

"Is that all the use the Jinki have?" Jirou asked after a moment. Now he knew how Sekirei came to be discovered and how MBI itself came into existence, and Takami herself was the right hand under Chairman Minaka. Still the Jinki seemed very important as more than just keys to the Fourth Stage. Takami sighed.

"Judging by some of our other findings and translation of the ancient scripts aboard the ship, the Jinki may have the power when they are brought together as one to effect all Sekirei. This includes the possibility of eliminating them entirely...despite such a disaster like that occurring, that bastard...!" She stopped the beginning of her ranting as she received a text message.

"Dammit, I was just talking to him over the phone not more than 20 minutes ago...there's not much I can say at this point, Minaka is summoning me though I'm not sure what for." She growled and gave a quick text back.

"I don't know how you got all the way in here, but...huh?" Takami had taken her eyes from Jirou to look at her cellphone and give the text, then once she looked back up to address him, he was no longer there.

"Well that feels weird..." Takami muttered as she looked around the room for a moment before shrugging and left to see Hiroto at the top floor of MBI Tower. Jirou had stayed long enough to hear her words, deciding to tail her from the air vents to reach Hiroto as well. The Shinobi figured this would be the best way to learn the rest of what exactly the Chairman of MBI's intent was from the very man himself, since the Shinobi hadn't been able to ask Takami his most important question. Jirou caught the elevator she was catching and jumped aboard it's top. He would make his way in once he knew she had exited her destination. It was quite a good while before the elevator finally stopped and he heard the feint sound of Takami exiting. He was about to open the hatch at the top of the elevator to enter, but it was already making it's way down. Jirou leaned into the exit doors as he turned and saw the Elevator go down further. His space was narrow, but he was sure he could pry these doors open. Luckily the route Takami took allowed him to snag his kunai that he had used prior as points to mark his way. Taking two into each hand, he pried the doors open. It was actually easier than he thought it would be.

He came into a large room with windows on all sides. From one of the windows that led to the rooftop's outer area, he caught sight of Takami talking to a man who Jirou could only assume was Minaka. He could not hear what it was they were talking about and so made his way stealthily towards the exit to the roof. Before he could however, something surprised the Shinobi.

"What is that?" He pondered aloud, a machine flying through the glass and shattering it. The device split apart into different halves that held a vaguely humanoid appearance, but had one of their arms replaced with cannons for offense. One was red in color while the other was blue. As they were not alive, Jirou had not sensed the strange beings at all. The red one went a few feet by Jirou's left while the blue was to the right of him at the same distance. Both Hiroto and Takami entered to see the commotion.

"Well now...the man who I've been dearly wanting to meet. It seems Twin Shot was useful after all as a security measure. Welcome, friend, but just so you know normal business hours are 8am to 5pm Monday thru Friday. We are closed on the weekends for visitors unless it's Ashikabi and Sekirei recreation." Hiroto spoke in a smug tone.

"Chairman Minaka...so you are the one pulling the strings on this Sekirei Plan." Jirou said firmly. The Chairman was a bit hard to read since his thoughts seemed to always be scattered in a sense.

"You've got me at a bit of a disadvantage, knowing who I am already, but I've got no name to call you by." Hiroto made his way towards his throne like seat though he did not sit down just yet.

"I am Shinobi, those who are masters of the art of stealth. Nothing more, nothing less." Jirou informed simply. Twin Shot was not fighting Jirou yet, and he remained wary for sudden movements.

"Well, that doesn't help me figure out just who you really are, Shinobi-san. Regardless, it's 6pm now, so you're about an hour late I'm afraid. Could we pick up on this delightful reception tomorrow morning? On an unrelated note, I love that red scarf you wear. I had one once upon a time in my youth." Hiroto sat in his seat now, a wide grin on his face. Jirou was not amused.

"Tell me about the Sekirei Plan in it's entirety. I want to know why you're forcing a species of beings into extinction." Jirou said, grip on his blade tightening. He would not allow the Chairman an inch of sway from deterring answering his questions. Hiroto chuckled slightly. His expression had a hint of seriousness now.

"Is that what it looks like? You're very wrong, my friend, I've deeper motives in mind. But first I want to see if you can take on my lovely robot. Twin Shot, kill him." The Chairman ordered, clapping his hands a few times. Jirou could not feel out the aura of these metal creatures since they were moving but not alive, so he would have to be careful in his approach to access their strengths and weaknesses. The blue Twin Shot hovered higher into the air, but the red one remained hovering just shy of the ground. Both began to circle him.

Sekirei were still vastly more powerful, but the unpredictable nature of such beings like these machines still made them a force to be reckoned with. Jirou could normally feel out the intent of his opponent which gave him a massive advantage.

'I must access these...creatures carefully. No person holds full control of their actions within them. They can follow orders from the Chairman, and him alone, most likely...' Jirou began to move at a steady gate to intercept his foes. Only once he destroyed them could he gain the insights to the Sekirei Plan he sought.

To Be Continued...


	8. Chapter 8

Super Shinobi X(Cross):

The Story #1

Disclaimer: Characters from Shinobi series and Sekirei series are the rightful property of their respective owners.

Note: As always, thanks for the support for this story, and Cassius Brutus for beta reading. The next chapter might take a little while since I've been writing and rewriting it to try and suit my taste better, but so far I haven't been to fond of it. I've always had trouble with large group conversations in a story and deciding who should say what and how. But anyway I don't mean to rant, please enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 8

The red colored Twin Shot sped towards him from the ground level, the blue one passing overhead to get behind Jirou. The Shinobi hopped at the last second, passing over the head of the red but under the hovering blue Twin Shot. Jirou swung outward, cutting into the red one's face. Sparks flew free, but it was still mobile. It turned to give chase as Jirou was running the opposite way to avoid the blue Twin Shot's cannon fire. Jirou tested to see if he could parry these projectiles, and sure enough the energy was dissipated. Jirou had to infuse his own ki energy in the blade to reinforce it and quell the small concussive blasts from the explosions that followed when the shots met his weapon, but regardless he had a defense against them.

"This is going to indeed be entertaining...this man...this ninja...he was even able to take on a chopper single handed..." Hiroto began to chuckle while Takami watched not too far away wishing she could help out Jirou in some way. They saw Jirou slide under the red Twin Shot as it tried to swipe him with the claw arm it possessed. The Shinobi got to it's blind side and swung his blade with two hands to increase it's destructive force. The red Twin Shot was resilient but lost a sizable chunk of it's metal body to the attack. It's mobility was slowing already. Jirou could see that the blue one was the aerial assistant while the red one handled the ground. Jirou hopped away as the red Twin Shot began to fire it's cannon at him as it spun around. Jirou flung his hook upward with precision, catching the blue one by surprise as he pulled himself up to it and cut into it's chest with quick swipes of his ninjatou before it could do anything.

'Well, at least he's doing pretty good against Twin Shot...but he's not attacking with the same purposeful way like he did against the chopper...what gives?' Takami thought to herself. Jirou was indeed taking his time to find patterns in their strategy, though it was becoming apparent that the red and blue Twin Shot were keen on not attacking each other. Jirou purposely left himself open for an attack by the red one while the blue was being attacked by him. It fired it's cannon at an angle to hit Jirou while not making contact with the blue.

Similarly, the blue would fire it's cannon at Jirou in order to avoid being in line to hit the red Twin Shot. No matter what, both would not try to land a hit that could potentially hurt the other, even on accident. Jirou had tried to get the two to ram into each other as he left the blue Twin Shot's hover system at low capacity that it had to be forced to take the fight more on the ground with it's red brother. They could have easily smashed Jirou in between themselves but halted just shy of doing so and tried to swipe with their claws, and Jirou retaliated by swinging out wide with a powerful enough attack to send them reeling back in opposite directions before they could get off their attacks. The test might have been detrimental to Jirou's body if they had collided and sandwich him with their metal bodies or struck him close range, but he was sure they would not since they didn't even try to fire at him when knowing the other Twin Shot was right on opposite sides to be potentially hurt by their cannon blasts. This piece of knowledge turned out to be their downfall.

"Well that's too bad...seems he figured out that Twin Shot is linked. To attack one brings the other one also closer to death as well. They run on the same core processor after all since they are usually banded as one machine. One half destroyed, the whole thing goes." Hiroto observed, though his expression was still smiley as it usually was.

'He does realize that he will be left defenseless once the ninja kills Twin Shot, right? You may act like a fool, but you're far from one, Minaka...are you scheming something?' Takami always did have a hard time understanding the plans Hiroto would come up with. They may border on insane, but they had often a higher than normal chance of working. Hiroto hadn't activated further security since Twin Shot had discovered Jirou. He could have a ton of MBI Soldiers ring the battle off and wait for Jirou to fight off Twin Shot and they be ready to put a bullet through the Shinobi's head. Sure he could deflect a lot of them, but even he had to have limits. Nor had Hiroto tried to call for the Disciplinary Squad members at all.

The battle continued, but Twin Shot was greatly slowed, sparks flying free from both the blue and red body in sporadic intervals. Jirou was for the most part unscathed, though some of his uniform sported several cuts here and there, not a single drop of blodd stained his clothing. Deciding the fight was truly over in his favor, Jirou ran with a tremendous speed of his own, leaping at the red Twin Shot and grabbing it's head as he flipped over it. His ninjatou pierced it cleanly in the back of the head, and then Jirou dug the blade downward steadily with the momentum generated from his rush, the red Twin Shot falling into two broken halves. The blue Twin Shot began to move about as if disoriented, it's head and chest exploding without Jirou having touched it. It fell in a heap. Hiroto started to applaud Jirou's performance.

"Truly, a marvelous display. I thought I might not get this feeling like when I witness the battles between Sekirei. You are a tough man, Shinobi-san. Truly, you seem like the Ninja of legends long past. I shall give in to one request from you if it's in my power to do so." Hiroto leaned against his seat further, legs crossed and head propped by his right arm as he stared at Jirou intently. The Shinobi flicked his blade of the black blood the machines had.

"I don't suppose telling you I request for the Sekirei Plan to be null and void is an option?" Jirou said after a moment of regarding Hiroto. Hiroto sighed.

"Unfortunately that's out of my hands. The Sekirei Plan's conclusion will bring about a fruitful era, you see, the age of the Gods will once more reign supreme." Hiroto spoke as if he was relaying the most simple of concepts. Jirou would have to challenge that then.

"Were you not the creator of the Sekirei Plan itself? You are as mortal as your colleague and myself. To me it does not seem as if this is the will of the Gods, but one man's attempt to toy with powers he has no claim over. You may have discovered Sekirei, but you have only scratched the surface of truly knowing them. Or am I mistaken?" Jirou pressed, his stance becoming relaxed from his battle state moments earlier. Hiroto chuckled.

"You seem to know quite a bit. Your not under an Ashikabi status and I ponder if you even have the potential to be. You've saved many Sekirei, yet have winged none. Not a single one has reacted to you?" Hiroto asked of him. Jirou pondered on telling him that in fact quite a few had reacted.

"And what if some Sekirei had? Would that change anything? Unlikely. What could you possibly offer me that would retract me from ending your existence, Chairman?" Jirou spoke firmly, not moved by anything that the Chairman had to say or offer.

"Well now that's just absurd. You've got the potential but you just waste it by not responding to and taking advantage of a Sekirei's power? Do you trample the will of the Gods by spurning them?" Hiroto challenged back. Jirou regarded his words for a moment.

"That tramples the will of the Gods, you say? Then you know of information that points out the Sekirei as being somehow related to Gods themselves? Does their ship hold the proof to your words or are you just saying what you please? Regardless, I have my own power to rely on." Jirou took deliberate steps towards Hiroto, and Takami was holding her breath thinking that Hiroto might finally be killed off. If that occurred, the Sekirei Plan need not be in effect anymore and Sekirei would not need to be forced to fight each other to the death.

"Are you planning on killing an unarmed individual, Shinobi-kun? Doesn't seem very honorable to me. You will sit back and let the Sekirei Plan continue until it's conclusion." Hiroto said, his tone commanding.

"There does not appear to be any other person in close enough vicinity to aid you were I to sever your head from the rest of your body. Or will you make your assistant fight the battle for you now that...Twin Shot as you called it, is out of commission?" Jirou spoke firmly. Still, he was proceeding with caution. Hiroto could have a trick up his sleeve. Which the Chairman did. Hiroto pulled a decently large crystal like structure from the folds of his cape.

"I would be worried about you ending the lives of many innocents. Namely Ashikabi and their Sekirei. What if this thing fell and broke? Who knows what could happen? Certainly not I! We could all be destroyed right here where we stand." The Chairman rubbed it a bit, and Jirou came to a halt mid step. The crystal glowed a bit from that, and the Shinobi felt a tremendous influx of power start to radiate from the strange object. It was something relative to the Sekirei, Jirou could feel out this much.

"That's...!" Takami started, her face going visibly pale in both fear and rage. Jirou realized that it was indeed something important, and may be able to really kill off Sekirei and Ashikabi alike as Hiroto claimed. Jirou had a feeling he knew what that object was now, to possibly have that effect.

"Do you know what this is, Shinobi-kun?" Hiroto said, a grin spreading on his face.

"It is one of those artifacts...the Jinki." Jirou murmured aloud, more to himself than Hiroto but the Chairman heard it all the same.

"Well, yes actually, it is. Well that spoils things a bit. Oh well...let's just say were you to kill me and this Jinki falls and breaks, you could very well end all Sekirei and Ashikabi already participating in this glorious game. Or say you kill me and catch it? The Jinki would still get destroyed. This is the detonator button for the explosives set upon each of the Jinki within MBI's possession. You kill me and I clench my hand even just a little and BOOM!" Hiroto's arms spread wide for effect before once more resting at his sides.

"Anyway... let me tell you why it could take out all the Sekirei and Ashikabi, since despite not being an Ashikabi, you know quite a bit more of the Sekirei Plan than I thought you would." Hiroto was surprised Jirou could realize that he was holding a Jinki on him and name it correctly. Still, it was also his trump card to gain a foothold over the Shinobi and maybe finally have him participate in the game as yet another pawn. Jirou said not a word, so Hiroto continued.

"So long as I have this, touching me could end up having some very detrimental effects. There is still much we don't really know regarding Sekirei, but when they share a kiss and get winged, the source of their soul is also transferred to the Ashikabi. This effectively establishes a link that both share through the soul of a Sekirei, known as a Tama." Hiroto rolled the Jinki in his palm a bit more before continuing.

"The Jinki can disrupt the Tama, causing Sekirei and the Ashikabi who shares it to be killed off. It's also because of this link that Ashikabi who die in combat or some other situation will effectively kill off the Sekirei they wing due to the link disappearing between all of them forever." Hiroto explained, and it was more in depth than what Jirou was able to get from Takami since she had been summoned away from her ward by the very man himself. Jirou still did not respond, and Hiroto quirked an eye brow.

"Listen Shinobi-kun, if you really want to acquire them you will have to do it like everyone else who plays in this game. You must compete for them. There is no other way. So, what will you do now?" Hiroto asked, chuckling. Jirou remained stock still. The Shinobi could admit that Hiroto had a solid trump card to allow his life to be spared. If Jirou followed through with killing him, he could end the lives of those who were truly innocent like the Ashikabi Shigi and his Sekirei Kuno. Jirou could not take that risk.

Takami wanted to growl, cursing Hiroto for his deviousness. She couldn't just throttle him at the moment due to the rigged Jinki in his hand. From the sounds of things he rigged all the others within MBI to be linked to the single detonator at his hand. She was thankful he hadn't given her a reason much lately to do so now since she was unaware when he started to take this precaution, or she might have caused an unforgivable act against the Sekirei she was trying to protect in her own way. The Shinobi spoke once more.

"Tell me one other thing, Chairman. Why are fallen Sekirei brought to the tower? Are you experimenting on them and trying to revive them for your own purpose?" Jirou decided to ask the all important question. He had a feeling Hiroto would not tell him the truth outright.

"Oh? Sekirei are quite the beautiful creatures, no? We can't have them being ravaged for in that state. I thought that would be easy enough to see." Hiroto said, his manner casual. Jirou did not like his shifting thoughts for they helped to cover the truth Hiroto was withholding.

"Is that so? Can a Sekirei not be revived from death though? In a different and more efficient manner from a Human's own?" Jirou pressed. He could feel a sense of shame in Takami's aura. He had a feeling she knew, but could not let it be known outright. It was for her own survival, and Jirou could respect that. Hiroto was still unreadable.

"You really think there's some kind of conspiracy going on with bringing back Sekirei to the tower? For shame, Shinobi-kun. I run a respectable company. We would not do something to tarnish such a reputation." Hiroto said, grin widening slightly. The Shinobi sheathed his weapon, much to the Chairman's delight. Jirou was sure he wasn't being told the truth, and still had one other font of information in Takami, through Homura. Hopefully she could spare the information over the phone or in person at a later date.

"You are spared for now, Chairman Minaka. You would be wise to keep that Jinki and detonator on or near you within arm's reach at all times, even when you go to sleep lest it be snatched away along with your life." Jirou said and started to make his way outside from where the Chairman and Takami had been prior.

"That's not the response I was expecting. Are you going to be participating in the Sekirei Plan or not, Shinobi-kun?" Hiroto turned and called out to Jirou. The Shinobi had kept walking, halting at the door frame but did not turn to face them.

"You will know in time my decision." Was all Jirou said before he took off outside in a run and diving off the edge of the roof, his grapple chain being brought forth to grab hold of a statue on the side of the MBI Tower. He used it to swing towards a lower building. He would not go immediately back to Maison Izumo in case he needed to throw off the trail should any choppers possibly spot him. He called Matsu to have her hack the satellites to also throw MBI off his trail from all the way up in the sky. She had taken awhile longer to answer, away from her room to eat dinner, as it was already nearing 8pm. He assured her he would not need long, and her work would only need to be conducted long enough to disorient them from seeing him for about fifteen minutes. Traveling as he did made his trip much faster than walking the ground.

Maison Izumo, In the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

Jirou trudged in through the window he left unlocked. Miya was exiting her room, sensing his arrival to greet him.

"Good evening Jirou-san. Oh my, your attire is quite a mess tonight. Are you okay?" She inquired, gazing at his Shinobi uniform, which was definitely worse for wear from all the damage it received. This was the longest he had been out since having arrived in this era. She was glad to know he had survived, rather surprised to learn he had planned to infiltrate MBI alone from Mutsu and the others. Jirou nodded, removing his mask and hood with a tired sigh. Miya began to check his person for possible injuries, but he had none that were remarkably big as the major damage was upon his clothing.

"I apologize Miya-dono. I've learned many things about the Sekirei Plan that I'm not fond of. We need not speak on it though right this instant. Do you need me to help you out with anything after I get dressed in my civilian attire?" The Shinobi said. Miya shook her head.

"No Jirou-san, everything is quite all right. You can rest and relax. We also received a guest earlier by the name of Kochou, who claimed to know you. She's surprisingly quite a fan of Matsu-san. They've been holed up in her room for awhile until dinner was ready. I guess that's what happens when two rare Sekirei types meet on friendly terms. Hopefully Matsu-san's personality doesn't rub off too much on her for she seems quite respectable. They're downstairs at the moment though." She said, sparing a chuckle.

"I'm glad she was able to make it here safely. I had to help her out in a spot of trouble. Well, if there's nothing else, I would like to change over and get a decent meal." He admitted, smiling. She smiled back.

"You just missed dinner, but luckily the food should still be hot. I shall leave a plate out for you." The landlady said. Jirou nodded in thanks.

"Thank you very much, Miya-dono. Was Kuu-chan good today?" He asked as he made his way towards his room. Miya chuckled.

"Of course. I bought her a plant she can practice her abilities on, so she's been waiting patiently to show you. She's still downstairs with some of the others at the moment." She informed him. Jirou nodded.

"Great. Well, I will talk with you later, Miya-dono." He bid her farewell to get to his room. Once done changing, he went heading for downstairs but ended up running into Kagari, who was dressed in a simple beige collared shirt and some black slacks. He was not dressed to go to work. Kagari's days off were a bit scattered, not really fixed in a set schedule, but it was rare of him to be at Maison Izumo quite so late.

"Jirou-san...I heard a bit from the others, but...if you're back, you were able to infiltrate MBI?" The lighter haired male asked him. Jirou nodded.

"I was intent on ending Chairman Minaka's life in order to possibly put a stop to this Sekirei Plan, but he had a countermeasure to dissuade me." Jirou said firmly. Kagari was indeed impressed. Jirou was quite a unique individual to have gotten all the way up to the top of MBI Tower to come face to face with the very person who instigated the Sekirei Plan.

"So spill, I've got to know what he did. You downed a chopper, so ending Minaka would have been child's play by comparison." He asked eagerly. Jirou sighed.

"You know of the Jinki correct, Kagari-san?" The Shinobi asked after a moment.

"The Jinki...you know about them? How?" Even workers within MBI didn't casually know where the Jinki were being held by MBI. Only the top brass would know. Had Minaka really told Jirou about them?

"Your informant, one Sahashi, Takami. I ran into her during my infiltration, and I tried to interrogate her but it turned out she would give me the information I sought rather easily because she was an ally to yourself." Jirou explained, allowing Kagari to realize it must have been Takami who bared the information when Jirou came upon her. The male Sekirei remained wordless as to allow Jirou to continue uninterrupted.

"She had been summoned away by Minaka, so I tailed her and reached the top of the tower where the two were situated. A security measure was put in place that I should have accounted for more readily...I believe it was a combat machine, Minaka referred to it as Twin Shot. I was able to destroy this creature, which was able to separate into two halves but share one life." Jirou and Kagari began to walk downstairs, though their pace was slow to continue talking.

"Minaka had one of the Jinki on his person, and an explosive device to destroy it had I tried to attack him. Not only that, but he apparently had the other Jinki rigged as well. I felt it was too risky to take the chance since the Jinki can effectively kill both Sekirei and Ashikabi who have winged them, so I spared him." Jirou clenched his fists together.

"He is a crafty person, his thoughts quite hard to read because they constantly keep shifting. Even were it a bluff, I could not bring myself to risk the lives of those who are innocent for there were far too many that it would be counter productive to what I really wanted to achieve." Jirou sighed. Kagari could admit that the decision would indeed be a tough one even for himself. He was the Sekirei Guardian, so to possibly kill off himself and his kind for one man would be absurd.

"Damn...Minaka was willing to do that? Maybe I should have taken Miya-san's offer when I had the chance...dammit, now she may not be able to touch him either if he's resorting to that..." Kagari spoke aloud, but more to himself than Jirou.

"Miya-dono? What did she offer you in regards to the Chairman?" The Shinobi asked.

"She said that if I just asked, she would kill Minaka fast and in a hurry. But I wanted to do it with my own hands...but, looks like I waited too long. She'd probably do the same for you since you both are...well, you know...getting pretty close and all." Kagari mentioned.

"Kagari-san, would it be possible to set up a meeting or talk with Takami-san? There is still a little more things I need to glean from her that I wasn't able to achieve this night." Jirou said to him.

"Yeah, I usually only text her once she's initiated them because it means she's safely away from Minaka and others to do so. Having met you tonight, I expect a text as soon as tomorrow probably. I'll see if I can get something set up. Was there anything else you got from MBI?" The male Sekirei asked him. Jirou closed his eyes in thought.

"I've a decision to make...Minaka claims that the Jinki are to be competed for in the latter parts of the Stages in the Sekirei Plan. Do I participate in this Sekirei Plan and abide by his rules or do I continue searching for another way? That is the question Minaka indirectly posed to me." Jirou's expression was deep and thoughtful.

"What are you leaning towards more?" Kagari was definitely curious. Jirou was likely one of the few of Ashikabi potential who could fight his own battles against Sekirei. Kagari had heard from Mutsu how Jirou was able to handle Toyotama and Ichiya, both who were close range combat Sekirei, with ease. Granted they were not particularly strong in Sekirei terms but they could still handle any Humans with little effort in normal cases. Plus he was able to keep up with Karasuba for long enough to not get himself cut in two, so his skills were definitely on a level few could match.

"I'm honestly not sure...I've had one wife back in my time, and currently trying to expand my relationship with Miya-dono. Being obligated to multiple women...a part of me feels it is not just, yet another part of my would jump at the chance. I must meditate on this matter..." Jirou was distracted with his thoughts and Kagari did not ask further on that matter. The Shinobi was a moral man, and would make the right decision in time. Kagari felt this but was not sure why he did.

Eventually the Sekirei still to be winged would have to find their true Ashikabi, though there was a tough call to make since some of those yet winged were living here at Maison Izumo and were reacting to a man like Jirou who believed in maintaining a relation with a single woman. Would he allow himself to wing them or would he turn them away to other Ashikabi even though they were not the destined ones? At least this was a case with Mutsu, whom had confided with Kagari that he had reacted to Jirou but was allowed to go search for another Ashikabi who Sekirei #5 could serve and be of use to. Mutsu also happen to come out of his room, catching sight of the two.

"I thought I had sensed your presence, Jirou-san. You just got back, correct? How did it go?" Mutsu questioned after greeting them. Jirou explained what he had mentioned to Kagari. Mutsu was similarly impressed that Jirou had made it up to the top of the tower to meet Minaka.

"So he still has that sly side to him...I had a feeling things would be troublesome, but I didn't think he would risk something with the Jinki. Clearly he wants to live to see the next Stages to the Game. We can discuss it more in depth later." Mutsu said. The Shinobi and both male Sekirei went downstairs, witnessing as the other residence were about the downstairs area.

Yukari had decided to visit it seemed, for Yukari and Minato were at a small table likely doing homework or studying together. Both Matsu and Kochou were tutoring the two university students due to their immense stores of knowledge. Shiina was with Kuusano and Akitsu along the outer porch to the backyard, seeming to be drawing together at the moment. Six origami pieces were standing near Kuusano who had likely made them earlier. Akitsu seemed to be studying the origami as she too tried to perform the folds in the small pieces of paper between her and Kuusano. Uzume wasn't around. Musubi and Ikki were helping Miya in the kitchen with dishes, though there was a spare plate and utensils left out on the table with food for Jirou.

"Hey Jirou-tan! Good evening! You finally decided to join the land of the living I see. A bit late though." Matsu had caught sight of the three males first and waved her hand. The others turned to look at them.

"Jirou-onii!" Kuusano rushed up and hugged his leg. The Shinobi patted her head.

"Hello Kuu-chan. I'm sorry I could not take care of you today." He said to the little girl.

"It's okay, Miya-onee and Shiina-onii took care of Kuu-chan!" She spoke happily. Akitsu also made her way towards Jirou.

"Jirou-sama." She greeted softly. She always tacked on the sama honorific to his name. He had told her that he didn't need that honorific, but it seemed that she would insist on using it. Matsu turned to the Sahashi siblings.

"Let's take a break for now. You've both been at it for almost two hours and I'm sure both of you're a bit tired of studying. Come on Kochou-tan." Matsu claimed as she went to greet the three male tenants. Kochou rose up to her feet followed behind her senior information Sekirei and observed Jirou unmasked. She remained quiet, but openly admitted she liked what she saw in him. Yukari spoke up to her brother.

"Hey bro, who're those guys next to Musashi-san?" She asked curiously. Even though Mutsu was staying at the inn when she had last visited, he had remained in his room to rest up and heal further so she never had the chance to see him. Obviously Kagari had been away at his job that night.

"Oh, you mean Kagari-san and Mutsu-san? Both are tenant here like myself." The young man said.

"They new?" She queried further. Minato shook his head.

"Kagari's been here longer than me actually, but I think he works at night...but I'm not sure where or even what. Mutsu is new, I think, but he seems familiar with the inn and...wait..." Minato knew the look Yukari was giving towards both male Sekirei. Minato caught sight twice of how Kagari handled Matsu's perversion, though assumed Kagari was a pyromaniac with gasoline and a lighter or torch or something to cause such a big flame. Matsu was somehow able to take it, but Minato feared for his sister's safety. Plus he knew Kagari and Mutsu even less than Jirou All he'd ever done with Kagari or Mutsu was walk by one of them in the hall on some rare occasion and just say "Hi" as a greeting. He felt Mutsu was alright, if very reserved, but Kagari was more worrisome in Minato's eyes.

"You don't want to pursue Kagari-san, that's for sure, he's...uh, dangerous?" The young man supplied. Yukari took it another way.

"Yeah, I'll say Kagari's dangerous...on the eyes. Him and Mutsu-san." She said bluntly, forcing Minato to sigh.

"What about Shiina-san?" He whispered and pointed to the youth playing with Kuusano again as she guided Jirou over to Shiina while the other females tailed him. Jirou had said that he wanted to get some food first and then he would join them. Kagari had remained near the living room, plopping himself on the couch before taking up the remote and watching the television. Mutsu had decided to join him and sat in another seat not far from the couch Kagari now occupied. Minato had never seen Kagari or Jirou awake too often at this hour, since Jirou tended to turn in very early while Kagari would be asleep longer throughout the day on most occasions. Mutsu was a bit of a random case, as Minato might catch him in passing in the morning before school or after he got off from school.

"Well...yeah, but he's got the cute and naive bishonen look to him, that Kagari guy has the hot and mature bishonen look to him, while Mutsu-san has that tall and mysterious bishonen look. There should be a law against guys being that damn sexy!" Yukari was swooning. Minato sighed again.

"You've been reading too much manga again..." The older sibling muttered. Yukari hadn't heard him or ignored him, either way, she was ogling the two new "bishonen" that appeared on her radar.

"Besides, isn't Shiina-san your boyfriend?" Minato continued, hoping that would snap her out of her deluded reasoning.

"Come on, bro, you mean to tell me you live in this place with so many hot bodied females other than Musubi-chan that it hasn't crossed your mind even just a little bit as to what it would be like with more than one of them?" The young woman drew her fingers close together to emphasize her point. Yukari's comment was quite sound, the young man trying hard not to flush red at her comments.

"I'm...not going to answer that." Minato said finally after a few moments. He rose to his feet and stretched out for a bit before making his way to use the bathroom. Truth be told, he was having three straight nights of dreams about two pretty ladies, but they turned out as more akin to nightmares because he would recognize them and they him before showering him in bolts of lightning. This caused him to wake up in a cold sweat and his skin tingling as if a true electric charge had coursed through him. Minato had yet to realize that this phenomenon was the calling of reaction from Sekirei to a destined Ashikabi. He just wanted to know what was up with dreaming about them on a constant basis.

Knowing only a bit about the Sekirei Plan from what was given to him over his old television set in his previous apartment flat by the Chairman of MBI, Minato had already witnessed some fights between Musubi and other Sekirei. Musubi's training with Miya better prepared her to meet these challenges but she always seemed to get injured to some extent and her clothes blown to shreds in most cases. They had been lucky that Uzume was quite a good seamstress, suspected of being into cosplay because Musubi had once been forced to wear a pink maid outfit with frills and lace, then made to wear a high school sailor styled fuku uniform another time, while the other tenant took her original shredded clothes for mending. Regardless, both outfits seemed out of some perverse anime series. Granted a number of the tenants dressed rather oddly on a usual basis but he would never voice that comment out loud. Minato was still blissfully unaware of most of his fellow tenants being Sekirei and kept adhering to the rules of the game to not give out the secret.

"I think I'm getting more sleep deprived..." The college student muttered as he looked at the small bags under his eyes. Hot twins or not, getting awaken by electric shock the past three nights wasn't his idea of fun but there wasn't much to do but endure for now. He washed his face to try and feel more re-energized as he stepped out of the restroom, noting Yukari still staring at the other male tenants sitting forms in the living room. Probably deciding what was the best angle to try and approach the two hot "bishonen" without coming on too strongly. Unlike Shiina's passiveness which she had come to realize early on as a means of asserting dominance over their relationship, she had nothing on Kagari besides that he worked at night, which could be any number of things from a late night mall security guard with a gun to a male stripper with ass-less chaps. She had nothing on Mutsu either, besides that he had a broken arm.

She didn't get a chance to talk to either male, because Kuusano gave a big yawn, and Jirou decided to put her to bed. Miya had remarked that it was getting late and Shiina and Yukari had to take their leave of the place, though the girl decided that she might visit Maison Izumo on a more regular basis if Kagari and Mutsu were hanging around.

Next Morning, outside of Shintou Teitou University

Minato had finally made his way out of the train station and started walking towards the University. He had been thankful for the help of Matsu and Kochou, who Matsu said was her step sister. Both were incredibly smart and were good at teaching various subjects. Though Minato admittedly did not know where Matsu stayed within the inn, because he never saw where her room was located. He had been walking through a side alley to avoid some of the congested pedestrian traffic when he caught sight of something that nearly made his blood run cold.

A boy and a girl were being chased by the S&M twins, and Minato almost thought that this was a lot like how his dream played out except it was broad daylight. He briefly pinched his cheek to ensure he wasn't still asleep, and sure enough he was awake by the small jolt of pain on his skin.

'Why are they chasing them...? Could that girl be a Sekirei? But isn't she winged?' Minato observed her clothing as being a bit more stylized than a typical girl's own and guessed she was the Sekirei while the male was her Ashikabi. Minato vaguely recalled that the twins only picked fights with those Sekirei yet to be winged. Or Minato could be dead wrong and they were some innocent couple being terrorized by the twins for some transgression.

"Shit! Come on Kuno!" The youth nearly ran into Minato had Minato not made way for them to get past him. The college student hoped that The twins would just go past him too and not really cast a glance at him or give him a second thought. He wasn't so lucky. The bustier of the two locked eyes with him, the gaze causing her to slow down a bit.

"Wait, you're..." He heard her say, but she was interrupted. A spout of water slammed into the twins and tripped them up.

"W...what?" Minato spoke dumbly as the twins skidded on their soaked backs past him, his back pressed to the wall. He wondered where the water came from.

"Dammit! We should have really thought about that more carefully..." The pink dressed one, Hibiki, growled while rubbing her backside. Hikari groaned.

"Yeah...I guess we bit off more than we could chew. Sorry, Hibiki..." The darker dressed twin said. Minato had been left forgotten for the moment. Footsteps sounded in the alley.

"Verily, thou hast. Now perish!" Minato caught sight of a tall woman with long blond hair. He was struck by her beauty, but cowed at her angry expression. She was dressed with little modesty in mind, a wide open front black dress ensemble of some sort over an even more immodest looking frilly white dress that barely kept her large breasts covered, and Minato blushed harder when he though he caught a flash of her panties being revealed from the tiny skirt. Besides some tall boots and black stockings, her only other accessory seemed to be a white frilled black choker snug around her slender neck. She paid him no mind, only the twins, thought they were already back on their feet and running off as the woman blasted them with water gushing from her finger tips.

"Halt, knaves! Stop, I say!" She called out and rushed after them. Minato pressed himself even more firmly against the wall to be as invisible as possible, and she passed by him without a thought. Minato held a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding until he let it out, sighing in relief.

'I guess those two weren't being chased by the S&M Twins after all...they were running away from the conflict between the twins and that blond who shot water from her finger tips. No doubt a Sekirei...' He looked towards the brick wall the water hit, surprised at the force behind the attack as the wall was near fully punctured through. Good thing he hadn't decided to stay in the way. A part of him felt sorry for the twins, but at the same time he kind of felt they were getting their just due for tormenting his sleep. He knew he was running late, so had to proceed to the school with utmost haste.

When he got there though, a lot of students were leaving the premises. Minato caught sight of some of his classmates, seeing his sister among them.

"Yukari-chan, what's going on? Is school being canceled today?" He asked in bewilderment.

"Yeah bro, the power went out. Some kind of freak storm knocked out the electricity or something. The techs say the damage to the generator is pretty bad. We might get two whole days off though while they try and get a new one!" Yukari said with a grin. Minato also smiled. Much as he liked school, it was a pleasant surprise to relax from it. He hoped to have some free time to spend with Musubi possibly.

"So only the school's power got knocked out?" He asked. Yukari nodded.

"Yeah, but it was weird. There was like no clouds in the sky, but a lot of lightning and water was coming from somewhere. I got here early when the power was still on before it went out." She told him. Her schedule was different from Minato's to an extent, and she did usually get to the school earlier but also got out a bit earlier as well. Yukari's words made Minato have a strange feeling. He pondered if it was around the University that the twins and that pretty blond Sekirei had started the fight, considering the blond's power of water while the twins had control of thunder and lightning.

"I see...so what are you going to do now, Yukari-chan?" Minato asked, the two siblings making their way towards the public transportation areas, she to hop on a bus while he would go back the way he came to hop on a train.

"Shiina may want to catch a movie or something. Or maybe we can visit you and Musubi-chan at the inn later on?" Although she sounded genuine, mention of the inn and the sly undertone of her voice made him ponder an ulterior motive.

"You're not planning to see if you can catch sight of Mutsu-san or Kagari-san are you?" He asked bluntly. Yukari snickered.

"Now, now bro, that's not the real reason...though it would be a plus...maybe get a foursome going..." She kept rambling. Minato sighed.

"You and your manga..." He muttered out. Minato decided to take the shortcut through the alleys to get to the train quicker while Yukari took a bus since it was easier to get to her apartment complex since she lived closer to the campus than Minato.

"I'll see you later, bro!" She said as she waved back, leaving him while she boarded the bus. The young man made his way through the alleys, but halted when he was right near a bend in the alleyway when he heard a scream and the sound of running water, only able to stare wide eyed as he just barely recognized Hikari being propelled at him by a water geyser.

"Oh...!" Minato brought his hands up far too late to shield himself, Hikari's own open mouth slamming over his. A strike to the back of the head made him see stars, vaguely seeing wings of light before his world went black.

Rooftops near the border of the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

Minato groaned, the back of his head pulsing with sharp pain, his vision cleared somewhat, and he noticed a few wisp of clouds in the sky.

"Is this...Heaven?" He spoke softly before realizing that it was unlikely with the throbbing pain in the back of his skull. A familiar face shown in his vision now, obscuring the sky.

"No." She said. Minato's eyes filled with terror, and he was on his feet so quickly he got dizzy, nearly headbutting the woman on his way up. He rubbed at his eyes with one hand while the other groped for anything solid to lead him away, recognizing her as one of the Lightning Twins. His hand took hold of something soft yet firm, a girl's squeak of surprise sounding out when he did this. He opened his eyes to gaze at just where his hand was situated. His cheeks became aflame as he noticed a woman's ample breast being pressed into his palm, or rather, he was the one doing the pressing. And fondling for a bit there.

"Oh, damn! I...I'm sorry! Please excuse me!" Minato took his hand away as if he had placed it on a hot stove top, running to the Lightning Twin's left. Hikari had truthfully liked the contact and scowled as he turned and ran.

"Dammit! Why are you running?! You just grab a fistful of my tit after winging me and you just expect to flee like it was the cool thing to do?!" Hikari had easily caught him and yanked him by the white shirt he had on under the jacket, hauling him up with only one hand. His feet dangled in the air.

"Hikari, calm down! He just woke up and is probably really disoriented. Put him back on his feet." Hibiki called out to her sister. Hikari took a breath to settle her nerves, placing Minato gently back on solid ground. Minato's legs shook for a moment before he fell back on his rear from buckling, his hands there to brace his fall.

"I'm...really sorry about that, it's just that..." Minato tensed as Hibiki knelt down before him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Easy there, Minato. We know. We didn't leave you with the best impression of us in those dreams. We hadn't expected them ourselves at first either." She said, looking him over. He realized that they weren't in the S&M getup they usually wore and actually in civilian attire. Likely since their other clothing had been soaked by the water Sekirei's attacks. Hibiki wore a pink tube top with the number 12 at the bust level, and some cutoff denim shorts that shown her toned legs. Hikari wore nearly the exact same ensemble though it was violet in hue and sported the number 11 on it, though the number was partially hidden due to her larger bust. This also led to her shirt riding up a little higher on her torso to reveal her toned belly.

"Wait...you know of the dreams?! And...how did you know my name?" Minato was suddenly kissed by Hibiki while he had kept watching them, not realizing he had been slack jawed after his question. Wings of light protruded from Hibiki's back, volts of electricity running up and down the length of them. The wings vanished once Hibiki removed her lips from Minato's own.

"Sekirei #11, Hikari, and Sekirei #12, Hibiki, are now yours to command and cherish." Hibiki sidled away and remained with a low bow at his direction, tugging on Hikari's shorts to have her bow with her.

"We are sorry for our earlier transgressions upon you while you slept. Please forgive us." Both said in unison. Minato's phone vibrated in his back pocket at that moment before he could say anything. It was a call from MBI, not only that but he also had 34 missed calls from them as well. Wondering what it was about he took the call.

"Hello?" Minato greeted as he flipped open his phone.

"Well, Sahashi, Minato-kun...finally decide to pick up the phone I see...oh but don't worry, I'm not angry or anything...annoyed, but not angry, no...I could never get angry at an Ashikabi taking action to strengthen his power. But let me cut to the heart of the matter...oh, sorry, one moment, please." Hiroto's voice sounded. Minato recognized the man's voice from his television set when he had winged Musubi.

"Chairman Minaka...right?" Minato asked, as Hiroto had taken a pause for some reason but hadn't elaborated as to what, all Minato could hear was some static from his phone but that was it.

"Yes, Sahashi, Minato-kun! This is indeed the Chairman. I just wanted to congratulate you on winging some new Sekirei! The twins you've just winged are some rare and unique examples of Sekirei that function best together rather than apart. If they are separated during combat within a certain proximity, their powers alone only function at about 50% capacity, so do keep that in mind. Now I must bid you farewell and good luck on your continued success! Ciao!" The call ended. Hikari and Hibiki were eying him while he had been on the phone, awaiting his response of being forgiving or not. Minato rose to his feet gingerly and the two Sekirei went back to lowering their heads to continue to their bows of respect.

"Please stand up. I don't hold anything against you two, but I have to ask...why me? Oh yeah, and just how did you know my name?" He asked them, holding out his hands to help them back to their feet.

"Isn't it obvious? You're our destined Ashikabi. That's why you get dreams of us until you wing us." Hikari said.

"It was my idea to go through your wallet for some kind of identification, and to see where you lived so we could take you back and live with you of course." Hibiki said after, blushing.

"Huh...? Dream about Sekirei because I'm their destined Ashikabi...? Whoa...live with me? That's...well..." Minato wasn't sure how to proceed smoothly from here. He would have ask Miya if it was okay to have them move in, and of course they couldn't sleep in the same room with him as per the strict rules in place.

"Is there a problem with that?" Hikari's eyes narrowed as she scowled, glaring at Minato as if daring him to try and discard them. He blushed and averted his gaze as she tipped forward while her hands were on her hips, as he got quite the show of her cleavage from that angle.

"I live in a large boarding house called Maison Izumo, you see...but there are plenty of tenants living there already...I would have to see if the landlady is okay with two new tenants first...sorry." He said in a small voice, just loud enough for the twins to hear. They spared a look at one another.

"Oh is that it? Well, we shouldn't be dawdling here then. Lead the way to Maison Izumo! Oh wait...you'll probably want to be on the ground for that huh?" Hibiki spoke as she went up to Minato and grabbed hold of his right hand, while Hikari took his left. Before he could say anything, Minato was blast up into the air with a wordless scream, only now realizing he was on the roof of a building as he looked at the rapidly shrinking structures below. Luckily they were already within the Northern City to begin with which helped as Minato began to notice the landmarks to get to the inn.

His calm remained now, realizing that this was a lot like that high jump that Musubi had used with him when they found or rather fell right into Maison Izumo. He stared up at his two newest Sekirei, cheeks burning once more as he only caught sight of shapely rears barely covered by cutoff denim shorts and toned legs from his vantage point. The twins descended in an alley as they placed Minato on his feet.

"Well, lead the way." The twins reiterated, Hibiki latched onto his right arm, Hikari doing similar with his left.

"Uh...okay." He said, originally thinking of telling them they shouldn't hold him like this. Had there only been one girl, it would have seemed like a blushing young couple, but with twins it just made him seem like some kind of playboy with two hotties hanging from each arm. He steeled his resolve and hoped to be back at Maison Izumo with out much hitch or fanfare. As he proceeded towards the inn though, a thought of terror struck his mind like a flash of lightning.

'Wait...how will Musubi-chan take this...?' He paled, for while he had strong feelings for Musubi, he had no idea if she was the jealous type. She was always chipper in some way, but what if it was a front and she ended up being really possessive? He would find out, since this situation seemed inevitable.

"Wait, so how did I end up winging you, Hikari-san? All I can remember is running by an alley and then...nothing." Minato questioned in a low tone since he was already dragging up some unnecessary stares from other locals, or so he believed.

"I'm your Sekirei now, so use a more endearing honorific!" Hikari scowled, but kept her voice low as well.

"Anyway...well you were there when we got blasted by that water using Sekirei right? Me and my sister have been trying to lessen the competition of the Game by taking out the ones too weak to make it and find their Ashikabi. That's why...you know...we were fighting that hand to hand Sekirei you winged originally. So...yeah, we attacked that water using Sekirei thinking she would be just another weakling, but that wasn't the case." Hikari explained, a blush gracing her cheeks as his arm shifted and pressed more firmly in between her bust. Minato found the contact quite distracting though very pleasant indeed.

"Sheesh..that's why you got to reel in that temper a bit more, sis. That water using Sekirei was a Single Digit Number so she was far more powerful than we could anticipate. I think my butt still smarts a little by some of her attacks that connected. Ow..." Hibiki huffed. Hikari blushed harder.

"Yeah...I know, sorry sis...but anyway, she chased us down quite far around the city which was pretty frightening, and you got caught up at the end of her attack that she used to propel me at you and we locked lips. At least it was our destined Ashikabi and not some random one. That...would have been awkward." Hikari admitted. Her blush subsided somewhat but was still present. Minato could fill in what happened from there. They likely ran off with him and finally escaped the water Sekirei, lastly getting him on that rooftop luckily within the North City and fairly close by the inn he stayed at. But when had they had time to change clothes? Maybe it was better he didn't know.

Maison Izumo, In the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

Minato saw that Jirou was sweeping the front of the path by the entrance as he usually did. Jirou had felt the familiar aura of Minato and felt two Sekirei with him but did not know who exactly they were. The Shinobi did become more rigid in posture, noting that the two Sekirei seemed rather indecently dressed. He never really understood that sense of fashion. But he would not bring it up for it was the way of this world after all. Minato greeted him first, easing the hands of his two Sekirei off his arms so things would seem outwardly more normal.

"Hello, Musashi-san I got back early due to some difficulties at school, so it had to be closed down for a couple of days." The young man said. Jirou was not surprised by this information as he spoke back to Minato.

"Good afternoon, Sahashi-san. I heard from your sister about it. She and her boyfriend have come to visit. I see you've brought some guests over. They are...Classmates?" Jirou knew otherwise, that they were Sekirei, and likely Minato's own. But he would play aloof. He had to bite his tongue to keep from wanting to scold the two female Sekirei to put on more clothes for it was not his right since that was considered the typical fashion in this day and age. Jirou did not think he could ever understand the fashion sense of this time.

"Uh, yeah. They're actually looking for a new place of residence and wanted to check out Maison Izumo. I told them to talk with the landlady since she has the final say and all." Minato said. He didn't like to fib things but knew he had little choice.

"A wise decision. Allow me a more formal introduction, young ladies. I am Musashi, Jirou, a tenant under this roof." He bowed in their direction and they did the same.

"Good afternoon, Musashi-san, I'm Hibiki." The Sekirei in pink said first.

"And I'm Hikari. Nice to meet you." The Sekirei in blue said after. Jirou stepped aside to allow them passage. Jirou and Miya had opened a lot more space within the inn so it was very likely they would be allowed to stay here if that was their wish, in order to be close to Minato.

"Likewise." He said. Once the three were inside did Jirou feel two other familiar auras.

'I thought that they might come earlier but I suppose they may have been bogged down by other things...we are getting quite a crowd indeed.' Jirou thought to himself, feeling Shigi and Kuno making their way towards the entrance of Maison Izumo. Jirou had a feeling he might need to come clean to the ones who did not know him as the Shinobi. He also had yet to talk fully with Miya about his field trip within MBI Tower. His decision regarding the Sekirei Plan would have to come soon though, he believed. He would never want to do anything to hurt Miya's feeling, for they were beginning to bloom. She was no replacement for his late wife, nor he for her late husband, but their growing feelings for one another were real and important to him. He wanted to know her stance if he did decide to start winging Sekirei. He had to.

Like with Shiina, neither Shigi or Kuno could recognize his voice as the one that belonged to the Shinobi that met them in MBI Tower. They simply thought him another tenant different from the Shinobi who told them of this place.

To Be Continued...


	9. Chapter 9

Super Shinobi X(Cross):

The Story #1

Disclaimer: Characters from Shinobi series and Sekirei series are the rightful property of their respective owners.

Note: Sorry for the long delays. I'll admit that I was running through some scenarios in my head on just how to get this chapter to flow in a direction I wanted it to, and some chats with some other readers of this story in PM got me to think on a few other things as well. I felt this chapter was a good place to unveil some things that needed to be addressed, namely more of the Oboro's past and future and the role the Maison Izumo Ashikabi and Sekirei are going to be bumped up for the next chapter. As always thanks for the support.

Chapter 9

MBI Tower, Tallest structure in Shintou Teitou

Hiroto stewed over the development of the Sekirei Plan. He was frustrated, almost painfully so. Before the coming of the Shinobi, things were progressing at a decent rate. At least things felt as if there was a kind of steady progression. Hiroto had originally believed he had all the cards necessary to keep the game going, yet the Shinobi's defiance had made things go at the pace of a crawl. The only highlight of the Chairman's day was that an Ashikabi was finally able to wing two Sekirei, that being Minato gaining Hikari and Hibiki. But that had still not fully curbed the ever building frustration from the near one whole month of inactivity. He had such high hopes for Minato too. Oh well.

Hiroto knew some of, or rather most of, the why. The Shinobi had claimed it himself, and the only answers Hiroto could glean was as obscure as it was absurd if he dwell on it for too long. Sekirei reacted, but the Shinobi would not play the game, would not lead it's progression forward. He was not like those hot blooded youths who tended to blindly follow their hormones and want to bind any pretty girl they could in some subservient capacity. The Shinobi, at least from the chat they had, was someone not swayed by just a pretty face or body. Not only was he protecting Sekirei, but many were free yet safe, unavailable for even a forceful winging. Hiroto's anticipation of the Second Stage starting by the end of the month had pretty much been dashed.

Hiroto had believed he had an idea of where these Sekirei might be, even despite the fact that tabs on them were not so permanent so long as they were not winged. There was only one place that could truly be a safe haven against the Sekirei Plan within the city itself. He knew that to even take one step past the gates of Maison Izumo might be his last, for any loyalty he may have held over Miya was long dead as her husband was. Takehito, despite not having that special quality in his genes to be of Ashikabi status, had won the heart of Sekirei #01 and the only mature adult aboard the ship on Kamikura Island at the time. No longer could she be that perfect weapon under MBI. The rebellious nature against MBI occurred in her because Takehito taught her feeling such as happiness, compassion, and love. Such things were irrational for a weapon.

'Even if it's only been a day...how long will it take for his decision? What else can I use against him? It won't be easy...how can a fisherman catch a fish when no bait on earth can cause him even the slightest inch of nibbling from said fish? Would he have an answer in a couple of days? Weeks? Months? Years? Decades? When?!' Hiroto wanted some angle to bring the Shinobi under heel, but racking his brain resulted in little for he had miniscule to go by. What could he do to shake things up once more? Ashikabi could not wing Sekirei when there was an interference they could not detect even in the slightest. Homura as Sekirei Guardian hadn't been nearly as bad for he still relied on being somewhat out in the open, but the Shinobi took the opposite approach. He would not fight out in the open, nor would he even fight period if he could spirit away the attacked Sekirei in question.

Only Karasuba so far had caused him to actually fight in a more open area, but that was likely because they were in an otherwise more secured locale where few if any could be eye witnesses. Hiroto knew that there were other spots he likely helped in protecting Sekirei that were not known. Having stepped on the toes of Higa and having his men look for the Shinobi in an attempt to make him pay was one such example.

'How...how do I snatch back the scenario I've written? The delay...it will be too long won't it?' Hiroto continued to ponder, but it was giving him a headache. Takami had entered Hiroto's office, laying some reports for the Chairman to go over. It was 1 in the afternoon and the day had been mostly quiet, the Chairman having summoned no one to his office in the morning as he was often prone to do. When she entered his office, the man was not even in his desk, face gazed out at the city below as he sat upon the window sill. She waited for a few moments to see if he would acknowledge her or anything, but he did not and so began leaving, pulling her phone out and considering sending a text to Homura once she got to the elevator.

"Tell me Takami-kun...how many free Sekirei are still left out there?" Hiroto questioned though did not look towards her, but it still caused her pause. She scoffed, wondering why he didn't bother to check his own phone for he had the same function, but held her tongue and pulled up the application on her phone.

"Roughly 15% of all Sekirei are still free." She replied, as she cast a glance in his direction. It was getting close to that 10% where the only remaining free Sekirei would be preyed upon, but even she could tell the Game was starting to drag, due to the placement of rules he had enacted and the lack of winging thanks in no small part to the Shinobi's arrival into the city.

"Name them." Hiroto said, something about his tone was uncharacteristically serious. Takami noticed it but did not say anything on it and looked at her phone again.

"In order of number: #02 Matsu, #03 Kazehana, #05 Mutsu, #6 Homura, #9 Tsukiumi, #10 Uzume, #19 Ikki, #22 Kochou, #54 Kuruse, #57 Yahan, #65 Taki, #87 Kaho and finally #108 Kuusano. Then of course the Disciplinary Squad Members: #4 Karasuba, #104 Haihane, and #105 Benitsubasa...Oh yeah, and I guess our last acquaintance, #55 Saki. Was there anything else?" She asked him curtly after reading off the names. Hiroto hadn't responded for a few moments.

"No...nothing, Takami-kun." Hiroto said, nearly unheard by his low tone. It wasn't the response she expected, thinking he might mention that so far not even any known Single Digit Numbers had gotten winged despite being the rarer and more powerful of other Sekirei. They would be highly sought after normally. Takami shrugged, though spared an odd look at him. She pondered to herself if Hiroto was thinking of the near death experience with the Shinobi. The Chairman had come out on top as far as being spared, but that didn't mean he was out of harm's way. He had the security around MBI tightened, originally doubled, and then tripled when a soldier was found dead and without clothing but undergarments. The man's uniform had been in an entirely different restroom all together. Not a single person on MBI's military had even known there was a dead amongst them until a sweep of the building occurred to make sure everything was in order.

Hiroto was considering if it was time to have Natsuo wing the Disciplinary Squad members. That would bring things very close to the 10% mark that he had decided would kick off the start of the Second Stage. For the most part the Sekirei got along well enough with him anyway, Bentsubasa having an instant reaction while Haihane had come around in the week to follow. Only Karasuba seemed indifferent to him still. But the Chairman was confident that she would be winged if ordered. She had a goal in mind that coincided with Natsuo so she should go with this little nudge.

'Of course...I hadn't thought of that...why not just kick start things a little early? Natsuo-kun wings the Disciplinary Squad and I just announce the start of the Second Stage since we're soooo close? Shinobi-kun...you won't stop this, oh no you won't...!' A feint tingling sensation felt as if it had started from the center of his brain. A feeling he was actually quite familiar with.

'Tell me...how does it feel...?' The voice that spoke to him was deep and masculine, a different quality than the Shinobi's own yet still similar. It rattled through his being like a shiver down his spine. What Takami was not aware of was that Hiroto was having a conversation without her knowledge, one that could not be traced by normal means. For it was one of the mind.

'Oh...? Could you elaborate please? Afraid I can't tell where you're driving at...' Hiroto said calmly, though genuinely confused for the voice was being vague.

'Come now...the night prior you've had the chance...no, the opportunity...to meet my Greatest Creation. Does it not please you...? Why, Human Who Plays With Lives...are you not overjoyed? Not entertained?' The voice gained the quality of wanting to burst out in laughter. Hiroto chuckled, pushing his glasses higher upon the bridge of his nose. Takami once more glanced at him for a moment having only made it a few steps closer to the elevator when she heard him, trying to glean what he was finding so amusing. She could reach no solid answer.

"Something the matter, Minaka?" She asked, but he made a shooing gesture with his hand.

'Overjoyed? Why of course I'm overjoyed...but what is it that you mean when you say Greatest Creation? You mean him, the Shinobi? Tell me...who is he, a name, anything will do, but tell me...!' Hiroto grunted, feeling static surf through his vision.

'That is for you to find out...he is the heroic to your villainy, or perhaps it is you that is the hero and he the villain..? But fret not...I can give you both a common goal...he eludes you...the Sekirei Plan has been greatly delayed, like a cog removed from the wheel...allow me...to do it...Human Who Plays With Lives, there is no need to lie to me of your innermost feelings...for I know of the deepest recesses of your mind...of where you dare not tread.. you had hoped to hold all the scripts to this play...this drama...' The voice was now gaining a slithering sound, as if static was interfering.

'My Greatest Creation has...written it...the other half...so now I break it...into thirds...' The voice said softly, a rise in his voice as if to compete with the static. Hiroto was on his feet, fists clenched and jaw firm. Takami ignored him, or at least tried to, but something felt off about him today.

'What...? What will you...do? This is my game! I've just decided what it is I need to do! I've provided you with the sources to not interfere! These affairs are for Humans alone to deal...!' Hiroto wanted to kick himself in the face for that slip of the tongue for which the voice easily capitalized. The Chairman should have known better. He was dealing with one who did not accept such simply payment in monetary values.

'Oh, Human Who Plays With Lives...when you involved Sekirei...you've forfeit that chance...and you have thus far made the pickings quite slim lately...nor do I recall saying that I would hold to such standards, for you've not held to your own either...' The sound of the voice rose a pitch higher, in amusement yet also the hint of finality in the decision it made regardless of Hiroto's own by it's callousness.

"Be yourself...howl and cackle...in delight, for it suits you...watch now...my...Wing of Darkness! Yes! Watch it from your throne of dust! Put the lives of those birds you so claim to cherish...put them on the line! Then witness if you can become yet even more familiar with my Greatest Creation still...the one who owns the shadows!' The voice was stronger, as if it struck the inside of the Chairman's head like the beat of a heart steadily rising. Hiroto saw the sky darken around the tower.

"Minaka, what's going on?" Takami asked as she stepped up to him, but he ignored her and stepped outside to the roof. She followed.

"Wing of Darkness..." Hiroto muttered. The two saw what appeared to be a massive airship from some fantasy television series, for it was a device that could be conceived by Human minds and made by Human hands, but none knew just who would create such a thing. The hulking mass was deep blue in color, almost like a whale to an extent in shape, The many protrusions along it's body were odd designs, until fire sprouted from them, identifying them as cannons. They hit a few skyscrapers, the once great structures toppling over like houses of card, smashing into the streets below. The roar of screams was audible even from the tallest building to grace Shintou Teitou.

"Minaka...you better tell me right now what the fuck is going on!" Takami grabbed a fistful of his collar, but her grip eased up a bit as she remembered that he might still have a Jinki on his person. Hiroto's smile grew.

"Takami-kun...get the Disciplinary Squad up here. Do it...right now! I've got some things to do myself!" He smacked her hand free of himself and walked closer towards the edge of the roof to watch as the monstrosity continued to assault the city, sending a mass text to reach all Ashikabi who had winged Sekirei. Takami snarled but complied, and began dialing the appropriate number.

'Howl and cackle you say...but of course I can do that...this is making it far too easy...!' Hiroto received no response from the voice but cared little now. He had sent out his text. His chuckle had started out small but began to roll out in a higher pitch the harder he began to laugh. It mingled with the sounds of pain and death of the innocents below.

Maison Izumo, In the Northern City of Shintou Teitou (A couple hours prior to the Wing of Darkness)

Maison Izumo's living room area was filled. Shigi and Kuno sat on the couch, Mutsu taking up the seat nearby to rest his broken arm, while Minato and his Sekirei sat rather snugly on the other couch in the room since the couch could barely hold three but was accommodating four. Miya sat in seiza at the head of the small table present in the center of the other furniture, Jirou not far from her side sitting the same way. Kuusano and Akitsu was next to him, the scrapped number Sekirei learning more origami from the younger Sekirei. Yukari and Shiina were standing behind the seat Mutsu occupied, while Ikki, and Uzume leaned against the couch Shigi and Kuno were in. The only ones absent were Kagari, who was asleep in his room still, while Matsu and Kochou were still up in Matsu's room likely talking or hacking things on the computer.

"...so you see, we were pointed in this direction by that white ninja. He said we could come here on the basis of meeting grounds for him, and that this place was well protected. But where is he?" Shigi had finished explaining his circumstances with Kuno. Originally he had not planned on revealing anything Sekirei related, but Kuno had been freaked out by the appearance of the Lighting Twins, for they had a decent reputation for attacking other Sekirei and getting them out of the Game. Kuno had been attacked by them once as well, but like with Musubi and Minato, chanced upon Shigi from the ordeal. Minato had ordered the two to apologize for their past transgression, though coming from him it wasn't much of a command. The twins conceded though after feeling guilty when Minato bowed before Shigi and Kuno and apologized on the twins behalf, and so bowed with him in apology.

Like a dam overflowing, Musubi decided to join in on the event and revealed Minato as her Ashikabi so she must take responsibility, which in turn earned Minato an earful from Yukari until she blurted out that Shiina was her Sekirei which had turned the tables for her brother to say a few choice words. All the other Sekirei decided to come clean after the debacle, save Miya for obvious reasons. When she couldn't get anyone to shut up in an amiable way, she stopped the whole thing with her use of killing intent, the appearance of the Hannya causing everyone to be on the brink of feinting from fear. Except Jirou, who rested a reassuring hand on the landlady's shoulder once he had come inside and found everyone near collapse. She eased off the killing intent instantly, and that was how everyone ended up in the living room area to discuss the Sekirei Plan. Miya informed that she had a bit of knowledge in regards to the plan and that they could speak openly about it.

Each of the young Ashikabi had relayed their story of how they met their Sekirei to each other. When it came up that MBI had contacted them through different but highly accurate means, Jirou did not like the sound of what he heard. Minato had his television turn on with the Chairman physically showing and interacting with him with Musubi, then calls on his cellphone after gaining Hikari and Hibiki. For Yukari, he had accessed her through her stereo system when she had gotten home with Shiina. Shigi had taken a call from MBI for he had been out on the streets with Kuno, looking for a place to live. That MBI had this ability made Jirou more wary, and less comfortable with what he heard.

This was his answer, and it came in a form he hadn't expected but was glad for all the same. It made him totally reconsider even joining in the game to compete for the Jinki for he would very well lose the most valuable asset of his profession: Stealth. He knew it was far easier to be detected within this era, but a part of him hadn't really grasped just how easy until the youths perspectives brought much more clarity. He was Human and prone to mistakes, but regardless, that was little excuse and knew he had to be more mindful for he still was not the utmost adjusted with the times though he was getting closer to that end.

Still, had he given in and let Kuusano, Ikki, Matsu, or any other Sekirei that might react to him, be winged by him at an earlier time then there would have been no chance to sneak into MBI. Matsu's cellphone would have been a beacon for sure, for MBI would know exactly who to look for as they would be more easily able to pinpoint Jirou with the sharing of a Sekirei's soul through the bond. Now he understood more about what Mutsu had meant even though the male Sekirei lacked the full technical know how to address why Sekirei and their Ashikabi that winged them were marked so easily. Such was the advance of their technology. Part of him had felt compelled as any other hot blooded man might be, but his patience and discipline seemed to have seen him through and he now knew exactly what it was he sought without being bound to a petty game where lives of both Humans and aliens were treated as soulless puppets meant to be moved by the sway of a puppet master's strings.

Jirou focused back in on the conversation. He would discuss it more in depth with Matsu and Kochou later to see if something could be done. If he were to work in some capacity with Ashikabi and their Sekirei, it would be nice to know if he could have them sneak around and not warn MBI.

"The white ninja? He lives here? I had no idea...I mean, I've never seen him around before...unless...!" Minato had adopted a thoughtful expression, before his eyes went wide with a realization. Everyone's gaze fully went to him expectantly. Minato felt a little pressured by this but pressed on.

"It could be Kagari-san, I mean, he always sleeps during the day then goes out at night...what if his night job is just a cover for the white ninja?" The young man said. Silence filled the room for a solid moment, not even a bird chirping. Uzume was the first to snicker, and then started full blown laughing to the point of tears. The ones who knew the truth were also laughing, but covered their mouths to keep it contained somewhat. The only ones who knew that were not laughing were Mutsu, who simply smirked, and Akitsu who looked around the people laughing with wonder as she had never seen anyone show such hearty emotions though it warmed her heart. Jirou wasn't laughing either, but his smile was filled with mirth.

"Ow...oh...my sides...phew...that was...a good one...Sahashi-san! Sorry...couldn't help it!" Uzume was sighing breathlessly as she eased her laughter down.

"Uh...so am I mistaken...?" Minato asked after a moment. Jirou cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. There was no use hiding this within the walls of Maison Izumo for these people were friends, but they must be sworn to utmost secrecy outside of the inn.

"Yes, Sahashi-san. I suppose my actions have forced this so I must come clean. I am the white ninja you have all heard so much about. Breath not a word of this though if you value your lives. " Jirou said simply, but his tone was gravely serious. The room seemed to rise in temperature. To everyone else, a scarlet faced Hannya mask appeared besides Jirou. Unlike Miya's, the face seemed to be stained by blood running down it, a pulse of fire shining in it's eye sockets. It then spat out wild tendrils of flames that engulfed the room in blazing heat and destruction. Only Miya was at complete ease while the others were hollering and screaming in pain. Mutsu gritted his teeth to concentrate on curbing the strong effect of Jirou's killing intent, but was just barely holding on. The phantom pain subsided instantly however, but everyone was tinged in sweat as if fire really had ignited them. They opened their eyes and saw the room was still intact, no trace of a fire roiling about the premises, and that they were physically still alive. Jirou's eyes were cold as ice.

"Do I make myself clear?" He spoke in that grave tone, and it was as if the room could not say "yes" fast enough but it was subliminally understood that Jirou's wrath was akin to Miya's. It seemed two Hannya guarded the North City. None wanted to even fathom getting both angry at the same time, for while Miya's brought the fear, Jirou's brought the pain. Jirou's face became pleasant once more. Miya eyed him discreetly but intently, very flattered that he was using the Hannya Mask ability she was known for. It was as if a part of her husband had returned, for he had been the one to teach her that, and now Jirou had decided to use it. It was quite endearing from her perspective.

"Then all is well..." Jirou stopped when he saw Musubi raise her hand to ask something.

"What is it, Musubi-san?" He asked her.

"Musubi wishes to spar with Musashi-san!" She declared as she rose to her feet, her eagerness puzzling the others after witnessing the Hannya mask Jirou could produce. Miya spoke up.

"You can have the chance tomorrow, since you and Ikki-san have already sparred with me today. Please allow Jirou-san to continue for he was not finished speaking." Miya said with authority. Realizing her blunder, Musubi apologized and sat back down to let Jirou finish.

"Thank you Miya-dono. Back to the topic at hand, I think it is time to tell you some of the things I have learned from MBI for I had sneaked within it's walls the previous night, as you've heard of Haruka-san and Kuno-san. I was able to see the Chairman himself. He had to be spared or I risked a chance of ending all Sekirei and their Ashikabi in existence permanently. It is because of the Jinki. All Sekirei are aware of them to an extent, correct?" He looked to each Sekirei in the room. All were familiar with the name, though not the purpose of them. Miya's gaze was sharper on him than the others, very intent on hearing what Jirou had learned.

"So we would all be killed...? But..how? What are the Jinki?" Yukari spoke up shakily, her face seeming ashen from hearing those words. It was hard to fathom a possibility of killing so many in such a way, for there sounded to be no such defense against it.

"The Jinki effect a Sekirei's soul. When brought together, it may eliminate all Sekirei and those that share a bond with them. Perhaps like a reverse to the killing of an Ashikabi to deactivate all Sekirei under them, those that share a bond with a Sekirei are then also killed for they possess a portion of energy passed to them from winging a Sekirei." Jirou continued, the seriousness in his tone and expression cowing the Ashikabi in the room.

"No way...we could end up dead as well?" Shigi spoke softly in shock.

"Wait...killing Ashikabi can kill the Sekirei under them? Just off a...sharing of the soul?" Minato was eying his Sekirei, trying to wrap his head around what he just heard. So if he died, Musubi, Hikari, and Hibiki would just keel over dead? Fantastical sounding for sure. But not in a good way.

"Indeed. Bolster the will to live, all of you. You especially Sahashi-san, you are responsible for three lives now aside from your own. I hope to meet with a relative of you two in a few days at best to see if I can talk with her more in depth about the Sekirei. She knows something more about what is going on behind the scenes." Jirou informed them. Both Minato and Yukari gazed at Jirou with odd expressions.

"She? What relative?" They asked in unison.

"The one named Sahashi, Takami. I was unable to ask just what her relationship was with the two of you." The Shinobi answered. Now their eyes were wide with shock.

"WHAT?! But that's..." Minato began.

"...our mom..." Yukari finished. It was as if twin light bulbs flashed in their heads.

"Wow! Musubi never knew her adjuster was your mother! Isn't that amazing, Minato-sama?" Musubi chirped when she heard Yukari speak. Many of the others had been adjusted by Takami and held a healthy respect for the woman.

"Heh...in all makes sense...mom works for MBI. She never told us where but we should have realized it. She even worked on Sekirei..." Minato said with a nervous chuckle.

"You're right, bro...she said she worked at a pharmaceutical company, and MBI's the biggest and most powerful one in Shintou Teitou, so where else could it have been or else she wouldn't have made nearly as much money as she has to support us..." Yukari placed a hand under her chin in thought.

"I thought as much...so these two are..." Mutsu muttered, though did not open his eyes from his contemplative state.

"Hey...can we back up a bit? Musashi-san...just who are you, really? You say you're the white ninja, but it just doesn't seem like you can't be part of some big organization with all those skills and talents you seem to have. Why did you come to investigate this city and the Sekirei?" Shigi spoke up now. He was extremely curious about Jirou's character now that he was aware of the older tenant as the Shinobi. Jirou decided to explain his circumstances and how he ended up in Shintou Teitou from his original time.

"Listen to my tale, all of you who do not know. I'm not originally from this time, and actually hail from the year 1256 A.D. It was that year when..." Jirou began to recount his tale to the ones who did not know his true character. He spoke of that one fateful day where his life was forever changed by the Zeed ninja and the appearance of the strange explosion that sent him through time, though skipped over his use of Ninjutsu to protect himself for that was his secret to keep.

"...I ended up here at Maison Izumo with Kuu-chan that day and had learned that I came through time when spying the calender on the wall. Granted I knew not what it was called then, but the year it shown had surprised and disturbed me. I have lived under this guise since then. Believe what you will about this, but it is truth." Jirou concluded as he waited for any questions to be asked. Many who were not aware of his past had gaped wide eyed.

"Could I ask something, Jirou-san?" Kochou spoke up now, turning everyone's attention to her and her serious demeanor.

"I had heard some things from Matsu-san, that you were a ninja from another time. Not only that, but your clan predates some of the later well known Ninja clans to historically come into existence like the Koga for example. They first gained recognition as their respective clans back in the 1300s but then lost a lot of influence as actual Ninja and for the most part disbanded with the change of the times. Records exist for them, and even branches of martial arts have come about as a result. The same can be said about Iga and Fuma, who go back even further. Some records still exist to tell some of their history. With some of those dojo still in existence in modern times, don't you think you could possibly get some kind of aid from them? Though it's true your tale may not be taken very well..." Kochou took a pause, pushing her glasses back higher upon the bridge of her nose. Matsu spoke up for a moment , addressing Kochou.

"Jirou-tan did think on it when I was helping him research on it a little while back. He said exactly what you said about those practitioners being highly skeptical about his tale, and that he had little proof since the Oboro themselves seem to have been all wiped out from the annals of history. Most of the tools are now in museums and rusted beyond use, and also those practitioner are from these modern times where killing to survive is not a way of life as Jirou-tan knew it. They could disarm, but he would rather they be able to kill just as swiftly and easily. So getting aid such as allies and supplies who have the skill set Jirou-tan has isn't really likely..." She explained. Kochou nodded in understanding of the logic. She continued to speak to Jirou then to sate her curiosities.

"I see...well then, Jirou-san, while I've read up quite a bit about those clans, I'm really curious about the Oboro Clan you're apart of. Having been all but annihilated and with little to no records in existence about them, from our standpoint they are quite a mysterious group. Much as those enemy ninja that razed the village that you spoke about...why would they attack? Also, what of other clans besides them? Were there any?" She looked keenly at Jirou. The others turned to face the Shinobi.

"You've surely had read up quite a bit to know of some of those ancient clans, Kochou-san. We of the Oboro were aware of the Iga from the prefectures of the same name at the time, though now it is known as Mie prefecture. Our roots were roughly the same years of around the 700's when our ancestors first decided to live in the mountains of Kyoto. It would not be for another 200 or so years that we would know of each other. Fuma was also rising up to become prominent as a clan of Ninja. There is one clan who I've known of that lived far north of us whom I received no word of existing either through the ages. They were the Fushin. Let me explain ourselves and the Fushin at least, for the others have ample information regarding themselves..." Jirou cleared his throat.

"The Oboro themselves have made it their prominent mission to rid the country of evil and malevolent forces, like youkai and other spiritual beings. The enemy that razed our village had released a dangerous and highly matured Yuki Onna at the Forgotten Temple. Many of them could not even try to contain her. I had heard many legends of our ancestors felling or sealing vicious beasts to protect the peace. I had followed in those footsteps by killing this Yuki Onna by realizing her weakness occurred when she switched from defense to offense as she could not maintain her protective yet destructive aura." Jirou's eyes closed as he reminisced of the past.

"The Fushin Ninja were an interesting though hostile clan. They used large gliding kites to descend and lay siege to others and were very at home with aerial combat. The swords they crafted were also made larger and heavier than the typical ones used by ninja, for they would use them as a means of breaking through an opponents defense. They also tended to wear bright colored uniforms, for they mainly attacked at dusk and dressed in orange to blend better with the surroundings. The Oboro Ninja usually kept them in check since they often challenged us." He didn't mention the coincidence that one of the Oboro Clan's Ninjutsu was created and named before the full rise of the Fushin Ninja.

"Now, the ninja that attacked my village. I wager they also razed the remaining villages that served as spy networks for our clan to warn of such a threat, for they had swarmed us without us even fully knowing until they were already withing the village walls. This group was strange, for they were the most massive force of Ninja I'd ever laid eyes upon which made for a shock that they remained so well hidden from our networks. They could be neither bribed nor bargained to spare the innocents, and attacked when the village was in a state of peace. They spoke little but I did learn from some that they were called Zeed. Since no records exist of them either when I had Matsu-san check, I can only hope they have perished for what their actions wrought upon us..." Jirou's face became grim.

"The Oboro...though very powerful, there is only one object that these Zeed ninja likely coveted for it was the only thing within our village they could turn against us...a fearsome and loathsome blade. They came with such ferocity to the dojo where the Shadow Master and I were located that I could think of no other reason. All were shrouded with a potent dark aura that strengthened them beyond normal, but this worked against them since we could detect and defeat them easily. Had their numbers not been so great to overrun our village, we would have eventually pushed them all the way back where they originated from. It was unfortunate but we at least repelled them from the dojo." Jirou sighed.

"The Shadow Master would never carry the weapon unless the need was dire for it, but it's power was such that it would be coveted many who had ill intentions for its use. Akujiki was to be passed down to the Shadow Master's successor. A ritual is performed on a night with a full moon, usually a live battle between the top two successors for the title of Shadow Master while the current Shadow Master was a witness. The blade is dangerous, to both the user and the victims it slays, for the edge becomes sharper for each aspect of Yin within the soul it absorbs, and if none are available it will leech the very holder's soul as well with time. The sheath that holds the weapon is the only means to suppress it's great destructive power or it would ultimately kill it's holder and absorb the soul completely. As there is no record of it in the databases of this time like the Fushin or Zeed, I can only hope that it was utterly destroyed by the blast along with the village, for if it survived and fell into the wrong hands..." Jirou remained silent now, but it was clear to the others what such a thing meant. But as the Shinobi said, none had heard of such a blade ever to appear in history, so it to must have been destroyed.

"Oh...that was why you asked me to look up that name Akujiki in the databases, Jirou-tan...you were talking about that sword." Matsu recalled the name of what Jirou had asked, but he hadn't told her that he had been inquiring about a legendary sword.

"Fascinating...to think such advanced ninja clans existed as far back as that. Yet so little information is out there on any database makes it quite the interest to expand. I hope you will allow some more in depth discussion of this, Jirou-san. May we?" Kochou said, scribbling some things on a small notepad. Jirou's gaze hardened.

"This feeling..." he spoke softly. The ground rumbled violently, Matsu tipping over and landing on Kochou which caused the two Sekirei to fall down the stairs. Everyone gave a holler of surprise as they were all groping for anything to hold still. Jirou reared himself up with some effort, instinctively providing cover for Akitsu, Kuusano, and Miya. Ikki and Uzume tipped back and landed on their rears, almost not fast enough to draw in their legs as the couch that Shigi and Kuno sat in rolled over them.

The couch Minato and his Sekirei occupied split at the middle and all four of them ended up in a heap together. Mutsu slammed his hand into the ground as he fell from his seat, able to counterbalance the effects and try and lessen the tremors. Yukari and Shiina had a firm hold on Mutsu's seat when they felt the quake.

"Ugh...what..what was that?!" Shigi called out.

"We may be able to see from the second floor." Miya spoke up, catching sight of large plumes of smoke in the far distance from her vantage point that allowed her more sight of the backyard outside. Everyone who was thoroughly shaken had eventually risen up, though it was a bit tough on Minato as he had been pleasantly crushed against the softer parts of his Sekirei's bodies. When everyone looked at the city from the second floor of the inn, many could only gape in shock. Mutsu, Miya, and Jirou's expressions were neutral.

"What...is that?!" Yukari panicked at the size of the large creation in the sky.

"Is this...an invasion?" Minato wondered aloud.

"I shall go there and see if that thing can be stopped. Matsu-san, Kochou-san! Have you any idea what it is?" Jirou spoke. The difference in voice caused everyone to gaze at him, only to see him fully garbed as Shinobi. His room was closest so he quickly changed over. Right now to complete the image, his sheathed blade was being put on his back. His clothes hadn't gotten the full mending to it and still had a few large cuts in the fabric, for he would rely on his own skill then pass off responsibility to Uzume for her skill in sewing. The look in his eyes were cold and clear, utterly focused. He stepped forward and opened the window, which sported some cracks upon the surface. Kagari was out of his own room, bleary eyed from being forcefully woken up. His collared shirt had been put on hastily along with pants, as the buttons were misaligned but that was the farthest thing from his mind.

"Ugh...do I even want to know what this is all about...?" He gazed slack jawed at the flying contraption of gargantuan proportions. He was ignored due to the bigger problem on hand at the moment.

"No, nothing, Jirou-tan. Humans could have made it...but I've never seen anything of that size ever created before. I can only state the obvious...that thing's a weapon." Matsu said grimly. Kochou nodded as to agree. Jirou pulled out his binoculars to gain a few finer details. A symbol engraved near the underside of the airship hull was -Z- shaped in appearance. One he would never forget.

"Zeed...!" Jirou was out on the roof, sparing Matsu a glance.

"Matsu-san, you know what to do. I must find a way on that flying beast. It holds the crest of the very enemy that attacked my village and razed it to the ground 800 years ago. I see now that they have lived on...somehow." The Shinobi spoke in subdued fashion. His rage was coming back to him, but he would not allow his mind to be clouded by sheer rage. Matsu was heading to her hidden room.

"Jirou-san..." Kochou said softly, but followed after Matsu. This was their best way to aid him.

"Wait, there's no way you could get on that thing normally! We should probably wait for MBI's military to take it on!" Shigi protested.

"Hesitation is the true enemy. Make the impossible...effortless." Jirou recited, for they were the wise words passed down by the Shadow Master.

"Huh? But what can we...?" Minato gritted his teeth, wanting to avoid the monstrosity if at all possible.

"There is no time to waste, and believe me when I say that I shall find a way. If any of you would like to aid me in some fashion then follow, otherwise stay here. I shall try to get control of it and lead it out of the city and over the Sea of Japan so that when it goes down, no one will be in harm's way." Jirou leaped high into the air, his grappling chain being shot forward to allow him to swing through the air and land on a roof nearby. Before anything else could be said, the three youth Ashikabi's phones beeped at the same time to let them know they got a text message. It was from MBI.

"Seriously...? We've got to help the military take it on?!" Yukari was the first to speak when she saw the words displayed on the screen of her phone.

"We...will go...help Jirou-sama." Akitsu spoke softly but firmly, Kuusano in her arms. The little girl's expression was determined. The scrapped number Sekirei went to the roof and took an impressive leap towards the direction of the airship while holding Kuusano.

"Guess I'll be heading out there myself. My arm's almost about healed. Homura, go get ready." Mutsu said before he too left by jumping in the direction of Akitsu and Kuusano. The name Homura brought the others a look of confusion to whom Mutsu meant, save Miya. Kagari was already going back to get geared up as the Sekirei Guardian. Miya looked to the three Ashikabi.

"Go. Remember that your Sekirei are extensions of your arms and legs. They can fight in place of what you deem as an impossible task. The words Jirou-san was saying, you can make the impossible effortless with them." She spoke. Musubi bristled in excitement.

"Let's go Minato-sama!" The bubbly Sekirei grabbed his arm and shot through the air with him. Hikari huffed.

"Hey! Your not his only Sekirei...gah, something about her just rubs my tits the wrong way. We should have been his first so we could have kept him in check of ever winging other Sekirei." Hikari scowled.

"Let's just go." Hibiki said. The two leaped after their Ashikabi and fellow Sekirei.

"Man, this is getting crazy...we are like some Super Sentai group now or something...let's go Shiina, can't let my big bro show me up, his superior and ultra cute sister!" She grabbed her Sekirei's arm. Shiina nodded.

"Alright Yukari-chan...but I'm a bit nervous still..." He leaped out with her in his arms.

"Shigi-kun...what should we do?" Kuno asked meekly. Shigi gritted his teeth together. He wanted to be brave like those others, especially Jirou.

"We may not be able to do much...Kuno, we can provide a defense to their offense. With a group like them...we should be fine, but let's be careful and cautious." He took hold of her hand. Her hand shook, and he could tell she was nervous just like him. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She too leaped out the window with Shigi. Ikki turned to Miya and Uzume.

"I'll go too. If I can repay Sir Jirou in some way for saving my life...I must take this chance." Ikki said as she grasped her kodachi.

"I'll go with you, just give me a moment to slip into something more comfortable for taking out the bad guys." Uzume addressed her before she could jump off the scene. The two went towards Uzume's room. Kagari exited from his room in his black uniform, placing the mask over the lower half of his face.

"They all went?" He asked Miya. She nodded. Ikki and Uzume would be gone soon enough, so there was no reason to delay Homura further.

"Alright." Homura said curtly and left as well. Miya went to Matsu's hidden room and let herself in. She was a bit surprised that it seemed Kochou had also put up a high tech computer alongside Matsu's, making the room extremely compact, more so than usual. Their furious typing was filling the room with noise.

"Can't seem to get anything on this thing's computer...the technology seems Human, yet not...can you crack anything Kochou-tan?" Matsu asked.

"No...guess we will have to try and analyze it more and figure out what we can get on it. From the satellite readings, those people in control of the ship are Human...but how did they get something so large within the city limits so easily? It's like it materialized out of thin air, no reading shows that in came from a set path. It wasn't there one moment, then it was." Kochou said, her voice calm as ever.

"Matsu-san, get in touch with the cellphone you gave Jirou-san. I want to talk with him for a few moments." Miya spoke as she made her way closer to the other two Sekirei. Used to Miya's ordering voice from her time as a part of the first Disciplinary Squad, Matsu opened a line seamlessly in the middle of her work.

"Patching you through now, Miya-tan." She put it on speaker, the phone ringing. Jirou hadn't responded for a few minutes as he had been using his grapple chain, but once he came up to a roof that he ran along, he took out the phone and answered it.

"What is it, Matsu-san?" He asked.

"Jirou-san, it's Miya. If by some chance you can't get that ship to fall into the Sea of Japan on your own, I will take it out myself. For you. Just give me the word when you and anyone else not an enemy is clear of it." She said in a serious tone. Matsu had to take a pause when she heard that.

"Miya-tan..." Matsu knew what Miya was going to do. She would go out there and sonic wave the thing into pieces over the Sea of Japan if it was called for.

"A display of your power...if it comes down to that, then of course I will let you know, Miya-dono. But it will be unlikely, for I am a master of sabotage just as I am of stealth and assassination. Though curiosity may win out in the end...I would like to see all sides of you, Miya-dono." His bold statement brought the smallest hint of red on her cheeks, though she knew what he meant. All aspects aside from the physical but it could be taken either or both ways. The line disconnected.

Deep within Mt. Ishizuchi, Shikoku Japan (About an hour before the the Wing of Darkness)

Despite being a local landmark due to being the biggest mountain on the island south of Honshu, a hidden facility lay within that no outsider was aware of. Due to the hidden nature of the Oboro, Jirou knew not of this village in the least. Only four entrances/exits existed, all at the base of the mountain and kept well hidden on the other side from the tourist attraction, that being the chain links and path that led towards the summit where a shrine stood at the top for a fusion religion of the area known as Shugendo, which combined Shintoism with Buddhism. The religion was still in practice to this day. Rather appropriate as the religion was started by the warrior class.

Nearly 800 years ago, only three survivors had managed to escape the village on the Shadow Master's orders, One Shinobi and two Kunoichi. Their mission was a lifelong one, to be entrusted with the weapon Akujiki and keep it out of the hands of evil, and to keep the civilians of the village alive. They had taken an underground passage and evaded the massive explosion that took out the village and nearly took their own lives when part of the cave collapsed. five other civilians lived, but three had collapsed dead from injuries while escaping the cave. Two others had been an elderly couple, their days numbered and would not make any journey for long. None had expected the destroyed structures of the village, bathed in strange blue light after the explosion's wake. The elderly couple bid the ninja to flee, for they were the last of the Oboro's great ninja clan and they had to keep the Akujiki out of the clutches of evil. The ninja knew that they had no choice, and escaped fully from the village that had been their home for so long. One mission had been a failure, but the other a success.

Hoping to eventually restore the Oboro Clan, they had chose to remain secluded from society until they could find a place to settle down. The three Ninja had scouted out and ended up in Shikoku. These last members of the Oboro built houses in the forests and remained well hidden.

Their descendants would slowly start to migrate closer to Mt. Ishizuchi, and eventually start to mine through the mountain in order to create a more formidable defense structure should the village they called home ever be attacked again like the original one in Kyoto. They had taken to heart to never forget the calamity that befell the original village. By the year 1414 the newly established Oboro decided to implement a second hidden village within the mountain.

Now in the present of the year 2020, the facility boosted some of the most sophisticated technology human hands could build. They had even been able reversed engineer some of the MBI technology due to it being leaps and bounds higher than any normal Human facility. They had also served the Japanese government from the shadows in specific capacity, but due to such a long drought of peace, these ties were severed so that the Oboro could be left unshackled to disappear from any history what so ever.. No publicity was to occur that could point to the existence of an honest to goodness Ninja clan who adhered to the ancient arts as true masters of stealth and the use of Ninjutsu.

So it came as a surprise a few days back when sight of a strange white ninja had made the news from Shintou Teitou. Sightings of him had been shown but nothing nearly as concrete as the most recent. The Shinobi had destroyed a chopper as easily as stepping on a bug and crushing it. That was how fast he ended it. The skill he displayed, though only small amount had been revealed, still pointed to a seasoned master of the art of stealth. So he could no longer be overlooked. It had not been since the publicly unexplainable "Golden Castle" incident, since any ninja was in Tokyo, before it had been renamed Shintou Teitou by MBI once it displayed its wealth by owning the entire city.

Currently, in one of the underground skyscrapers, Hotsuma, current head of the Oboro was consulting the former head and his mentor, Kobushi.

"So then...there is no doubt?" Hotsuma asked as he gazed at the Oboro's village, now more akin to a city itself. He was not dressed as a Shinobi himself, wearing a black hoari jacket and matching hakama pants. A long scarf of scarlet was tied around his neck. It was the proof of the Oboro Clan's strongest Shinobi, and only the Shadow Master and those closest to him may possess the article of clothing. A handsome man in his mid twenties with short cut brown hair that had some mild spiking at the top, and hazel colored eyes, he had taken leadership of the Oboro by defeating his older brother Moritsune in the ritual to decide the next Shadow Master of the clan.

Moritsune had been lucky to have survived the ritual with a near four foot long scar over his chest, for Hotsuma would not follow through with ending his life. He had argued with Kobushi that the victor was already decided and that the Oboro had already suffered many great losses in the "Golden Castle" Incident. Kobushi conceded to Moritsune's life being spared, as Hotsuma was able to make that policy for he was now the next Shadow Master of the Oboro. As well as guardian to the burden of the Oboro Clan, the weapon Akujiki. Unlike the Shadow Masters of the past, Hotsuma carried the weapon strapped to his back in a red sheath with special seals upon the surface to keep the blade's power repressed until drawn.

"None, Shadow Master. Who do you have in mind for infiltrating the city?" The wizened old man asked. He wore similar clothing to Hotsuma though it was beige in color. Though he lost his right eye and left leg, he was still a capable warrior in his own right. Unlike other Ninja, Kobushi had his ninjatou sheathed at his waist. A black eye patch covered the right eye, while his left leg had a peg to support him. His gray hair was tied back in a high ponytail. Currently he rubbed the stubble of his chin as he stood besides Hotsuma.

"I wish Ageha could be sent, for she is a lot gentler in handling things...but I've chosen Hibana for she is the more skilled. Plus she has been itching for more work, which is amusing since she tends to be more lax. Times of peace can make warriors like us restless...though she won't be going alone for long. I'm going to handle the remainder of this month's paperwork and then I'll also be going to the field as Shinobi too." Hotsuma spoke, crossing his arms.

"Oh? You yourself will go? But Hostuma...no, Shadow Master...hah, so you want to leave this old man with the paperwork to be built up the following month while you get to go on vacation in Tok...that is, Shintou Teitou?" Kobushi chuckled wryly. The old Shinobi had been in his forties when he had been involved and came out on top of the "Golden Castle" incident, originally a mission assigned from the government itself as an investigation. He still would often refer to Shintou Teitou as Tokyo.

"Kobushi-sama, Hibana is a very powerful Kunoichi, but something in me just tells me that...this Shinobi we are planning to trail may be too much for her. We've lost many fine warriors to awesome and dangerous forces, I want to have no casualties for this mission." Hotsuma was firm in his words. Kobushi felt like jeering the younger man since he seemed to hold an attraction to Hibana, but held his tongue. Instead he kept things professional.

"Indeed...that man definitely seemed a practitioner of the art of stealth to an extraordinary degree. The forehead guard looks like a common one of the Oboro Clan as well, though from more primitive times as it does not appear to be a scanning visor in the least. But more interesting still...the clan crest on his belt is the original one from the 1200's according to the scriptures. I would know, being so enamored by the history of our clan." Kobushi spoke, slipping his hands into the folds of his haori to take a pipe to smoke. He stuffed some tobacco within and lit it.

"He looked like he used a grappling chain also. It's been a long time since any of the Oboro Ninja used one right? Not since we decided to perfect the Stealth Dash technique to cover decent distances through the air more efficiently and, obviously, be less detectable." Hotsuma's expression was now thoughtful. A buzzer on the desk sounded, a woman's voice sounding over the intercom.

"Sorry for any intrusions, Shadow Master, but Hibana has come as ordered. Shall I send her up?" It had been the secretary. Hotsuma pushed the button.

"Please do." He said before cutting it off, taking his seat as Kobushi assumed a standing position to his right. The old Shinobi chuckled.

"Well, at least she came through the front this time instead of sneaking from the roof." The older man spoke. Hotsuma suppressed a sigh.

"Please don't remind me of that. She's not the most tactful in conducting business...or tongue." Hotsuma's face became calmly impassive. Kobushi's face was similarly masked, smoke the only moving trail from his pipe. They heard the feint ding of the elevator down the hall but heard nothing else, but they could feel Hibana's aura getting closer.

"Enter." Hotsuma called out, before she could start to knock. The door opened and the young woman they had expected entered. She was dressed in civilian attire, at least a little. Her tube top hugged across her breasts, but cut low to reveal much cleavage, was black in color but had a red fire design across it. This color scheme of black and red matched her low cut shorts which had the red fire design stripes upon the sides. These shorts, like the top barely covered anything. Finally her boots completed the ensemble with the same black and red design. Her long black hair, usually kept down, was tied in a bun at the back of her head though her bangs were left alone to frame her pretty face. Her eyes were a similar shade of hazel like Hotsuma's. Before the Shadow Master could say anything, she spoke first.

"Hello there, Hotsu-baby...oh and Kobu-jiji too." Her voice was actually deeper than one might think by looking at her initially, but it gave her a naturally more sultry quality in tone to match her confidence which was far from lacking. Hotsuma looked like he was suppressing a sigh, and Kobushi chuckled. Both were well used with her personality and she was a good friend if rough around the edges sometimes.

"Hello there Hibana-chan, but I would show more respect for the Shadow Master were I you, since he has been considering you for a mission of importance." Kobushi said dryly, tapping his pipe against the ashtray on the desk. Hibana's interest piqued, her eyes widening a bit though she kept her emotions in check well.

"Is that so? Well let's not play cat and mouse here then. What have you got, oh great and mighty Shadow Master?" She asked, her attention shifting from Kobushi to Hotsuma again.

"Laying the flattery so thick is unnecessary, Hibana-san. Please turn your attention to the screen to your right." Hotsuma said, pulling a remote from his desk and turned on the wide screen television to display the recorded footage from Teitou News a few days back.

"Well now...this happened in the capital? He one of our own? Because something seems off. I'm sure you both already know what I'm referring to." She spoke after watching the clip.

"We've no records of any missing nin within our ranks, and we are already very tight knit and prospering in recovery during these last two decades of peace. Some of the distinctions that Kobushi-sama had to add include..." He backed the footage up to pause on the Shinobi while he had been spinning like a buzz saw to weaken the chopper, pausing at as good a showing of the man's front as he could.

"...the piece on his forehead is similar to the one we Oboro use, but it seems too thin to be a scanning visor. Most obvious is the red scarf he wears, which is definitely the same scarlet red color of my own, a symbol of a very distinguished ninja in our ranks. Lastly, do you recognize the symbol on the center of his belt?" Hotsuma questioned her. Hibana gazed at the screen with scrutiny of the belt, a hand to her chin in thought.

"Something about it...seems familiar...but no, can't say I recognize it. Do you know?" She asked back. Hotsuma nodded.

"According to Kobushi-sama, it is the Oboro clan crest, but from ancient times. What this means is that there is a definite tie to us. We must find out what, and why he is hanging around Shintou Teitou. You will have to be careful though...something strange is occurring in the capital. It's nothing like Hell Spawn or other such Youkai, but there is definitely something being instigated by the company, MBI." Hotsuma shifted his neck to each side, earning audible popping noise when he did so.

"Some of our old friends locked away in the government hierarchy say that they've got nothing concrete though due to MBI's vast influence now over the city, but less and less people are being allowed outside of the city. If you can, find out why, but learning that Shinobi's identity will be top priority. You will have three days head start by tonight when you leave. I'll be heading to the capital myself once those three days are up. Questions?" The Shadow Master claimed as he stood up, stretching his hand out with a scroll of her mission details, which she would burn upon memorizing the contents.

"Oh, you want to get out of this stuffy office finally? What if I have this mission bagged before you can even get out to the capital?" She asked in silent challenge, a smirk on her lips. Hotsuma's expression matched.

"Then surprise me...if you really think you can have the mission done before I get there, I'll treat you to a day in the capital of...whatever you like I suppose. But if you haven't...two weeks of half pay for you." The Shadow Master named his terms to her, before turning to his paper work, his gesture of telling others they were dismissed. Hibana flinched as if in pain.

"Ouch, that wouldn't be very pretty. Guess I'd better get my lovely ass out of here and over to Shintou Teitou as soon as possible." She sauntered to the door.

"Indeed. The sooner you've gathered your inventory for this mission and the faster you leave, the better." Hotsuma affirmed, chuckling softly. Before Hibana could make her exit though, the intercom blared again.

"Shadow Master, the techs are sending feed to the television set in your office! Please check it now, one of our old government allies is calling from a secure and untraceable line! Directly about Shintou Teitou on the main island of Honshu!" The Secretary maintained professionalism, but her voice was definitely a pitch higher for something excitable seemed to be going on.

"Alright, checking it now." Hotsuma claimed as he turned on the television. The grizzled face of an old man who had been well acquainted with Kobushi when he had been the Shadow Master those past 20 years ago. His beard was thick and framed the entirety of his lower face, and only had a few flecks of brown hair among the sea of white. His eyes were still sharp.

"Kuzuryu, old friend...something grave is going on." Kobushi responded automatically, though apologized afterwords for it should have been Hotsuma who addressed him, for Kobushi was Shadow Master no longer.

"I wish I could just say hello Kobushi, but there is something serious going on in Shintou Teitou!The Government presence is so weak there now when compared with MBI, and I feel I can't turn to anyone else, despite the many sacrifices the Oboro have made for Japan..." Kuzuryu cleared his throat.

"Listen, a giant air fortress or some such thing just appeared out of thin air and started to attack the city. Not unlike the Golden Castle incident that was covered up. Only discernible mark is some Z shape on it but can't be identified as belonging to any country inside or outside of Japan. Though no demons are swarming the city, they are just attacking with cannon fire for the main offensive. MBI has deployed some F-35s to fly up there and deliver concussive force on the hull, but it's thick. No one can seem to get close to it. Not even the potent Sidewinder missiles are strong enough to breech the hull, an impressive feet." The old Government worker shrugged.

"On top of that, one of my friends that lived near there said that beside the private military MBI houses, some strangely dressed individuals who seemed to display some unusual powers, like shooting water or gusts of wind from their finger tips, were attacking any of the forces being sent down into the city via jet pack technology! The enemy is Human, no demons or such that could be seen, nor do they seem possessed by the means of talismans like that sorcerer Hiruko first used to enslave some of the dead bodies of the Oboro 20 years ago. Granted they wear military grade head gear so who knows?" Kuzuryu said.

"So there is already a decent force out there to distract them outwardly...Kuzuryu-san, as current Shadow Master, I will head out there myself with one other. As Shinobi, we will not need a large and cumbersome unit to infiltrate this air fortress. We will head out to Honshu and make way for Shintou Teitou immediately!" Hotsuma was on his feet. Kuzuryu bowed.

"Thank you Shadow Master. I wish we could pay our due to the Oboro Clan, but you are of the shadows, those who come like the wind and leave just as quickly without a trace." Kuzuryu cut the connection.

"Kobushi-sama, take charge here! Hibana, gear up as Kunoichi now! This is no mere competition any longer, we will take the Bullet Capsules, so Kobushi-sama, get into contact with them! Also make a list of belongings you will need for our mission to find the other Shinobi, I will do the same. We will have it sent to Shintou Teitou at a later time, but for now we will have to rely on ourselves to remain as unseen within the city as possible while bringing the battle to the enemy!" Hotsuma was already ripping his civilian gear off and began fitting into his Shinobi attire in the office, despite Hibana's presence.

"I'm taking the easy way, but don't worry, I'll open the window this time." Hibana said after giving Hotsuma's frame an appreciative glance, before leaping out of the window she opened, her form disappearing in a blur as she initiated her Stealth Dash technique. Kobushi closed the window once she departed.

"Hotsuma, I don't have to tell you to be careful, but I would expect a high probability that you will somehow see that Shinobi on board this air fortress Kuzuryu spoke of. If he is somehow connected with the Oboro, ally yourself with him and get the information you seek at a later time when things cool down. Having been in that city, he may be able to allow you and Hibana shelter there until your civilian gear arrives." Kobushi had forgotten to address him as Shadow Master, but Hostuma was more used to hearing his own name from his mentor and father figure.

"Yes, I was already along that line of thinking already. One thing get's me though Kobushi-sama. That Z shaped mark that was brought up...do you believe it possibly connected with the ancient enemy that brought ruin to the Oboro initially?" Hotsuma spoke firmly. Kobushi had heard of that as well.

"Yes, it could only be them...Zeed."

To Be Continued...


	10. Chapter 10

Super Shinobi X(Cross):

The Story #1

Disclaimer: Characters from Shinobi series and Sekirei series are the rightful property of their respective owners.

Note: So is everyone ready for a lot of chaos? That's pretty much what this chapter is all about with the Capital as a war zone. Oh yeah, and a lot of cameos too. I tried to make it in regards to a lot of things going on at once to an extent, and I'm not sure if I succeeded in making it more compelling then confusing...maybe a bit of both. It was getting really long though, so the events of this day according to the story(spanning the last couple of chapters) will finally be concluded by the next chapter for sure, while getting back to some of the Sekirei side of things. As always, thanks for the support, and just for fun, can anyone spot some of the Shinobi references from the earlier games? Namely Revenge of Shinobi(The Super Shinobi in Japan) and Shinobi 3(The Super Shinobi 2 in Japan).

Chapter 10

The City of Shintou Teitou

A family was screaming, rushing through the streets to escape the enemies who came from the ship in the sky. They burst down from the air using jet packs that rumbled with fire. The husband was holding his wife's hand to in his left and his young daughter in his right. His daughter tripped and the parents stopped to get her back to her feet. The husband's forearm was shot and he screamed in pain, his wife trying to be a protective shield for her daughter. Four armed soldiers had their guns fully trained on the three, and it seemed to be the end for them. Until chunks of ice cut two of them in half, taking out the arm of another. The last soldier took a pause to look as the one armed soldier was slammed with more soldier was turning to attack whomever had attacked them, only to be pounced upon, a ninjatou piercing straight through his flak jacket from the back to the front of his chest. Jirou kicked the dead man from his blade.

"Hurry and go!" Kuusano got the attention of the family as they hadn't even noticed she was beside them, and pointed for them to get away. The wife helped her husband to his feet, their daughter clutching his knee. They spared curt bows before departing from the near death experience. When Akitsu and Kuusano first met up with Jirou, the Shinobi chastised Kuusano for trying to get so directly involved in the fighting for the little Sekirei would be unable to escape witnessing such great acts of violence and death, but Kuusano held firm in wanting to help her Jirou-onii and the city in some way. The show of stubbornness meant that Jirou had to concede since time was of the essence. As Sekirei they would be useful though.

"Akitsu-san, Kuu-chan, let's go." Jirou said as he rushed into the alley between buildings, bounding from each wall to get back up to the roof. Two solders were shooting at Jirou from the roof, and it was the Shinobi's movement that made it hard for him to be hit. Akitsu planned to throw icicles at them, except that Jirou shot his grappling hook with ease to circle around the soldier's neck and pulled him down. The soldier tried to get his jet pack going, but the Shinobi's blade cut the device right from his back and twisted the solder free and ricochet from his body. The solder fell to his death. The other one took aim as Jirou stilled and fired, only for the Shinobi to smack the bullet aside. The soldier had the combat knife through his mouth a split second later, not even realizing that Jirou had pulled the bladed weapon free from the fallen soldier's flak jacket. Jirou was now on the roof, then flicked his blade of blood before twirling it back to the inverted grip he favored. Akitsu and Kuusano were up there a few moments later to join him.

"It appears other Sekirei and their Ashikabi are fighting the Zeed menace. This enemy has many resources though." He saw as some more civilians were saved by Mutsu a few blocks down, sending the ground caving in to make the soldiers fall. The three made it a few roofs closer towards where the airship was flying over and casting it's wide shadow upon the city. MBI Soldiers and Zeed Soldiers shot each other down in the streets along the way.

"That's..." Jirou muttered, one final crossing saw the three witnessing Kazehana, the Sekirei Jirou met some time ago. She aimed her hand skyward, sending a large gust of wind slamming into Zeed Soldiers from all sides, sending some off to their deaths as they slammed against other buildings, while others were able to get their jet packs blaring in order to get back at the Sekirei. She huffed in annoyance and used her Kaze No Tachi attack, which sent out blades of wind fast enough to cut flesh as fine as a sharpened blade. The Soldiers were cut to shreds. Hearing a sound behind her, she sent a blade of air towards the source. Jirou could protect himself, but let Kuusano do it as she formed a thick shield of vines to defend him. Parts of the vines were cut, but could not be cut completely through.

"A Sekirei...? Oh! It's you, Jirou-kun!" Kazehana's gaze went from seeing Kuusano upon the shoulders of Akitsu as the vines receded back to the flower pot in the little girl's arms to reveal an unscathed Jirou. Kazehana was pleased to meet up with the Shinobi once more.

"Hello again, Kazehana-san. We will have to cut the pleasantries short, however." Jirou's tone was serious. Kazehana nodded in understanding, though she had hoped to thank the Shinobi more properly for trying to console her in some way during their brief first meeting. It had been a push in the right direction to accept some things she needed to get over.

"Mmm...you're right...I don't know who these people are, but they need to be taken care of. They even attack innocents without a care or thought. They won't get away with it! Oh, but I almost forgot..." Kazehana turned to look a few buildings down, where Tsukiumi was hacking some Soldiers apart with a long blade made of water. Once done she leaped and landed where Kazehana and the others were located.

"Kazehana-san, who...hold, thou art him! The white ninja who poses a threat to this city! Thy skill makes thee worthy of a duel! En guarde!" Tsukiumi formed globs of water around her, ready to shoot them at the Shinobi. Jirou remained unmoved for he knew he was safe even without the use of skill, Akitsu stepping in front of him after swiftly placing Kuusano back on her feet. Tsukiumi glared, Akitsu remained impassive, but the water Sekirei noticed her water had frozen up before forming spikes that aimed at her person.

"As you can see, my allies are Sekirei. Believe it or not, but I'm no enemy of the city. Akitsu-san, leave her be." Jirou knew that a fight between them was not the way to go, and placed a hand upon the scrapped number Sekirei's bare shoulder. She complied, the ice spikes falling and shattering upon the ground of the roof.

"Let's be friends here, Tsu-chan, we've got a common enemy whose more important to deal with. All of the Capital is in a panic." Kazehana spoke with a note of stern seriousness. Tsukiumi sighed and bowed in a gesture of apology, her scowl of anger replaced by a calmer but still very prideful expression.

"I apologize. However Kazehana-san...thou knows mine full name! I've agreed not to that childish pen name!" She said while giving Kazehana a wilting glare and crossed her arms. Though the gesture was in seriousness, it didn't stop from making her breasts rise up in a more pronounced way. Ignoring the provocative appearance lest he stare too long, Jirou stepped closer towards the roof's edge and took a knee.

"Oh right, sorry, Tsukiumi-chan." Kazehana said as she and the others saw while Jirou took out his binoculars to view the giant ship. The F-35 fighter pilots were getting destroyed though by the jet pack wearing enemies as they landed upon the jets and blasted the pilots within the cockpit. Some got fairly close to the big ship, but were shot down with cannon fire. Jirou got an idea, seeing an F-35 traveling through the air a ways off, trying to use the buildings as cover to get close as possible. If he could help that F-35 get close enough to the ship by striking down any jet pack using soldiers, Jirou could board the massive weapon from the sides with the Spider Walk.

"Akitsu-san, form half an arc over this building. Hurry, then you and Kuu-chan must go and help others on the ground. Kazehana-san, Tsukiumi-san, aid them. It will help cover more ground this way." Jirou ordered. Kazehana was impressed by the show of competence in Jirou's tone. It reminded her of their first meeting and how sure his actions were to down the chopper. Akitsu seemed hesitant still to an extent.

"But Jirou-sama..." She said softly. Her expression was blank as it always was, but the emotion of her eyes was visible as he looked at her. She was troubled and wanted to have his back and shoulder the burden he was placing on himself. There were no illusions as to what he was planning to do or the harm he could be put in. He understood her fears, but his only assurance was a hand on her shoulder. Kuusano was holding her hand as well.

"Jirou-onii will be okay, do it." The little girl's eyes were firm and determined. She had such trust and faith in her Jirou-oniichan to return to them always. The scrapped number nodded slowly before forming an extension to the building with ice.

"Thank you. Akitsu-san, Kuu-chan...be sure to have each others back at all times! This is live combat." Jirou ran upon the slick surface quickly to keep from slipping off, then once he was over the hump, he leaped. The F-35's pilot shifted his neck to see as Jirou landed on one wide wing, his scarf billowing wildly behind him by the velocity. The four Sekirei saw as he disappeared with the jet from their view.

"So...Jirou-kun is the Ashikabi of both of you?" Kazehana said after she had gazed out for any further civilians in need of rescuing. Hearing of Ashikabi, Tsukiumi bristled in part anger and part shudder for her misconceptions of them only made her more alert, as she considered them vile creatures. Both Akitsu and Kuusano shook their heads, seeming wistful. Kazehana gazed at Akitsu more critically, noting the bandages around her forehead to cover her Sekirei crest.

"Oh my...you were the scrapped number, of course I should have recognized that name. So obviously he would not be a true Ashikabi to you...regardless you ally yourself to him. Then there's no doubt about it...it's love, right?" Kazehana's eyes bore deeper into Akitsu's own, so much so that not even stoned faced Akitsu could maintain a blush from her cheeks. Tsukiumi growled.

"Thou wouldst best hold thy tongue, Kazehana-san! The enemy draws near! Nor do I wish to be witness of another love-love rant..." Tsukiumi said firmly as she aimed her hand skyward to send torrents of water smacking into soldiers that were descending by jet pack around their group, her technique known as Mizu Matsuri.

"Such a stick in the mud, but I guess this can't be helped." Kazehana sent out gusts of winds to slam into the enemy as well. Akitsu and Kuusano followed suit and struck at the soldiers with their unique powers.

In the Air

Meanwhile, the pilot heard the dim sound on his wing, seeing the Shinobi there. Jirou realized the pilot was going to try and fling him free of the jet. The Shinobi performed a somersault high in the air as the F-35 spun three hundred sixty degrees a couple of times. It soon righted itself up to level out in the sky. The pilot heard a thud, twisting his head to see Jirou had landed over the capsule shaped windshield. Before anything could be done again, the Shinobi pointed up, and then pointed towards the airship, then finally a thumb up gesture which was akin to a meaning of trying to achieve similar goals. The pilot quirked his head to one side, though it was a bit hard to tell with the large helmet he wore, before nodding as he seemed to understand Jirou's intent. They ascended and banked sharply to head directly towards the ship.

Jet pack wearing soldiers fell onto the back of the F-35. One aimed a gun at Jirou, only to have his head cut off and the body fell from the back. The other soldier tried to hit Jirou with bullet fire, but the Shinobi deflected the bullets away, making sure it was upward so not to hit the F-35 accidentally. The soldier unloaded the clip of his pistol, already ejected the empty clip and swiftly reloaded. He didn't make it, Jirou's speed a tremendous burst as he cut the legs off the soldier and made him slam into the wing with his face and breaking his neck before falling away from the jet. Jirou did this a few times, as soldiers tried to get the F-35 like they had the others. The Shinobi would not let them take the jet, his Spider Walk allowing him to move about the top of the F-35's body freely to cut down his foes as if he were on the ground facing them.

Unfortunately, cannon fire hit the right wing, the velocity of travel nearly clipping it free of the jet itself. Knowing they were not going to make it any closer, the pilot steadied the F-35 as much he could, glancing towards Jirou and offering a thumbs up of his own for the attempt. The bottom hatch opened, barely audible from the wind rushing past Jirou, but the Shinobi saw as the jet fired off a large missile from underneath the body to try and get some attack on the giant ship. Seeing his chance and making the split second decision, the Shinobi ran towards the tip of the F-35's nose and leaped. Jirou landed on the Sidewinder as it kept speeding towards the massive ship, it being large enough to support his weight. The F-35 went crashing down to the city not long after.

'They won't make it easy, but I shall make it to the inside!' Jirou sheathed his weapon as cannon fire tried to strike him. Using his grapple chain, Jirou lowered his stance and wrapped the chain about the Sidewinder missile's head to guide it as he swerved his arms to alter it's course in winding fashion to make him a much harder target to hit. Knowing he was finally close enough, Jirou took an impressive leap to get out of the blast radius of the missile as it hit the hull, though it hardly left any scratch or dent in the protective surface. His Spider Walk allowed him to cling to the the surface with hands and feet.

In the City of Shintou Teitou

"These guys don't play around..." Uzume muttered. A couple was running from her towards any safety they could find once she saved them from some soldiers. Her outfit was nothing more than large amounts of sheer white cloth adorning her body, though didn't hide much of her body. She waved her hands about to manipulate long portions of cloth around her arms, making them as stiff and sharp as blades so they cut through the enemy in wide arcs as more approached her from the air. Ikki had her back, using her kodachi and the skills she learned and honed from Miya's training to great effect. She could bypass bullets shot at her and slice her foes with ease using her sharp blades. She wasn't confident enough to try and deflect bullets back at her opponents though, something she had learned about Jirou from Matsu once. One Soldier, armed with a rocket launcher, hefted it up and shot one of the large projectiles towards the duo. A thick vine slammed the projectile off trajectory before it could reach the two. The Soldier was then shot by a hail of ice shards piercing his flesh and he went down. Akitsu came in Uzume and Ikki's view, Kuusano still atop the scrapped number's shoulders.

"Aki-chan, Kuu-chan! Thanks, but we had this well under hand. Did you both catch up to Jirou-san?" Uzume asked while there was a break in all the fighting.

"Yes...but Jirou-sama proceeded alone towards the airship." Akitsu said somberly.

"Sir Jirou did...? But how?" Ikki questioned. None had the illusion that they could jump high enough to reach the flying death weapon, and even if it went low enough towards the city to do so, the artillery they possessed might not get them anywhere near it.

"By those." Kuusano pointed as an F-35 went flying overhead, shooting any airborne soldiers but could not get all of them as two got on top of it and blasted the pilot and forcing the plane to dip and explode against a skyscraper two blocks away.

"Seriously? Geez...Jirou-san has like no inkling of the concept of fear. Guess that's what makes him so reckless." Uzume said, sounding like she was chastising, but the small smile on her lips showed her respect of his abilities. Most Humans just weren't that sure of themselves like he was.

"You mean tough right, Uzu-neechan?" Kuusano said, a small frown on her lips. Uzume's smile grew and she patted the little girl's head, though the older Sekirei had to tippy-toe to do so as Akitsu was nearly the same height.

"Of course, Kuu-chan..." Uzume was cut off as they heard another explosion nearby. They witnessed as bodies were burned to crisps and were falling to the ground in heaps. Homura exited the fire dramatically, his command over the element of fire allowing him to pass unharmed. He looked to the bodies.

"Nothing really phases these soldiers...they moan and writhe in pain but they don't scream in total panic like a normal person would after being caught on fire." He observed and walked up to the group of Sekirei.

"How are things going on your end?" He asked them.

"Seems we were able to take down enough for MBI to finish things up around this part. We should probably check other areas of the city to continue pushing them back, otherwise they may just swarm us all again." Ikki spoke, wiping her kodachi free of blood.

"That would probably be best." All heads turned see Mutsu making his way towards them. He continued speaking.

"For our numbers, we should split up in groups of two and help whoever we can that is an innocent bystander. Since the scrapped...that is, Akitsu is with Kuu, you both stay together. Same with Ikki and Uzume. Homura, you're with me. We'll head south, Uzume and Ikki to the east, and Akitsu and Kuu to the west." Mutsu said in orderly fashion.

"That's probably the best idea. All of us should be careful though, since Ashikabi and their Sekirei are likely going to be around as well. Wouldn't want to be forcefully winged unless we somehow find our destined Ashikabi around here...well some of us anyway." Homura answered. It was true since he and Uzume were the only Sekirei of this group that had not reacted to Jirou, though Mutsu was the unique case since he was planning to be winged by another as he had no other real use or service to offer Jirou as his Sekirei that the Shinobi couldn't get done himself.

"Right. I was hoping to be heading east anyway! Let's go Ikki-san!" Uzume said with a nervous excitement, which made Ikki's eyebrow raise a bit. She decided to ask about it later as she and Uzume stepped together and jumped towards the east. Akitsu and Kuusano shared nods and Akitsu hopped to the west with the younger Sekirei upon her shoulders.

"Let's do this." Homura said with a firm nod. The two male Sekirei headed south. MBI soldiers were starting to secure the immediate area.

Maison Izumo, in the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

"So far things are being contained from reaching very far north, so we should be alright as long as this holds up. That ship is heading east, but it's resources...truly they've got plenty. It's as Jirou-san had described...such tremendous numbers at their disposal." Kochou mentioned as she monitored the activity of the ship and the Sekirei and Ashikabi from Maison Izumo. Matsu gave a startled sound.

"What the...? Two strange torpedo looking objects are heading for the island from the south. Seems that some of the enemies attacking the air carriers at the harbor are onto them also...look." Matsu's words got the full attention of Miya and Kochou as they shuffled closer to look at the screen that Matsu pointed at. Rather then jet packs, the Zeed soldiers that had been sent out to attack the MBI ships launching F-35s were on hovering rocket propelled vehicles that were somewhat loosely a mix of a motorcycle and a bumper car. Some of the soldiers on the vehicles broke off from attacking the ships, heading towards the two torpedoes. These vehicles were equipped with turrets alongside the large front light of the vehicle, machine gun fire peppering the torpedoes. What happened next was a surprise. Rather than explode in a haze of fire, the shells burst apart in fragments of shrapnel that fell a decent portion of the enemy force as they tumbled and fell into the water with enough speed to slam into the waves with force. Some more broke off from the offensive against the ships to reinforce the remaining soldiers.

"Those are..." Miya muttered as she continued to view the screen.

Sea of Japan, south of the Island of Honshu

Both Hotsuma and Hibana were riding jet propelled surfboards. Hotsuma's Shinobi attire consisted of sleek black metal armor that was form fitted along his body. Most prominent was the breastplate over his chest which contained a circular back piece with the more modern clan crest that housed the special red died sheath meant to contain Akujiki's power His forelimbs were also covered in black metal, though the ones on his forearms doubled as both a holster for kunai and close range bladed weapons as the kunai stuck out like spikes at the sides. Underneath the black armored areas was dark gray clothing that provided protective padding and ease of movement and clung to him like a second skin. It almost matched the metal scan visor at the forehead of his mask, which had four eye like formations that glowed blue. His red scarf was wrapped over the lower half of his masked face and his neck, billowing behind him wildly with the velocity of travel.

One red gloved hand held the side of the surfboard as he leaped up into the air, other red gloved hand grasping the hilt of Akujiki and unsheathing the blade to slash cleanly through both a soldier and his hover vehicle without pause, flesh and metal passing by either side of the Oboro Shadow Master as he landed back upon the water with the surfboard. Akujiki seemed like any other ninjatou at first glance, but the blade had etched runes the color of blood running along a good portion of it's edge. The blade glowed faintly. Hotsuma was the only one to see the aspects of Yin within a slain enemy's soul travel into the blade, to anyone else it simply glowed dull red. He continued to lay siege upon the enemy as they tried firing down upon him, feeding their souls to sate Akujiki's hunger.

"Don't hog all the fun to yourself, babe! Girls gotta have their due too!" Hibana called. Her Kunoichi uniform was somewhat similar in essence to Hotsuma's own as far as headgear, but was otherwise vastly different and also had long strands of her headband flapping behind her in the air, which was worn under her mask to keep the long strands of her hair from obstructing her view. The scarlet covered nearly the entirety of her forelimbs were more pronounced for the rest of her attire was a black leather body suit that hugged her curves,the sides revealing hints of skin to show from the fishnet material while it was almost exclusively so for her back and arms, with only the armor of her red gloves providing more cover. Her visor was red like the rest of her face, arm, and shoulder armor and the four eye formations glowed yellow instead of Hotsuma's blue. The back of her shoulder armor housed a loop to hold her sheathed ninjatou in place on her back, though not as fancy as his was. Hibana had additions at the slim belt upon her waist, for at the back were two tantou length blades in sheaths crossed at the lowest part of her back. These small blades had wide hand guards that sported spikes along their arcs, making for nasty closer ranged weaponry alongside her traditional sword.

She caught one of the soldiers to her left by surprise as she flipped up and smacked him clear off his vehicle while she kicked off it to reach one of the higher up soldiers, her tantou drawn with each hand as she drove them into the back of his shoulders and twisting to leave large wounds that prevented him from controlling the hovering device. She leaped away as he sank lower and collided with the soldier directly below him, sending them both to die as they hit the water, an explosion following soon after to spray water high into the air.

"Heh...showoff." His voice was filled with mirth, swerving away as soldiers in a tight knit group opened fire on him. Hotsuma weaved by more gun fire to get as close as possible before twisting his board in a full circle, Akujiki cutting through the group like a knife through butter. Ajujiki glowed as it consumed more souls.

"Now who's the showoff?" She mocked in amusement.

Maison Izumo, In the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

"Huh...they do appear somewhat similarly dressed to Jirou-tan, and those skills...!" Matsu was impressed with what she was seeing of the male and female Ninja as they made their way closer to the island, making a beeline for the piers of Shintou Teitou.

"This could all be one big coincidence after another...what with all the talk about Jirou-san's clan and their mysterious enemies, Zeed...it seems strange how things are playing out. This might be something like the siege on his village I'm guessing, just on a probably much bigger scale and with enemies using more modern technology. Not that it can amount to much against us or those ninja from the look of things." Kochou was observing them as well.

"They were trying to get here as undetected as possible under the cover of the battle. I'd say they were for the most part successful in that endeavor. Perhaps we should find out if they are friend or foe. Who is closest to the port?" Miya spoke up.

"Looks like Mutsu-tan and Homura-tan will be closest. Want me to contact them and have them be on the lookout on their way to the towards the southwest?" Matsu asked. Miya nodded. Kochou spoke up a few moments later.

"This is bad...seems like Sahashi, Minato has been blocked off by the Sekirei and Ashikabi of Higa from the East. After they took care of the soldiers, Higa's Ashikabi started to have their Sekirei attack once Sahashi refused to join them from what I can gather. #11 and #12 have been split off and have reduced their effectiveness in combat. Sahashi's Sekirei are more powerful, but are being swarmed by the numbers of opponents. They may not last long at this rate." Kochou said, her tone calm but firm in the seriousness of the situation.

"Sheesh...they can't just set aside obtaining more members on their side until after they've helped repel more of these Zeed soldiers in other parts of the city? It's those guys who are the main threat right now!" Matsu grumbled as she waited for Homura to answer his phone, which might not be for a few moments as he and Mutsu were fighting more soldiers at their current location.

"Who is closest to Sahashi-san out there?" Miya asked calmly.

"Interestingly enough, aside from Uzume-san and Ikki-san who are headed more northeast, it would appear that your old comrade #03 Kazehana is closest. She seems to be teamed up with #09 Tsukiumi, and they are helping Sekirei #54 Kuruse finish up protecting some more civilians. Neither #03 or #09 have a cellphone, but #54 does. Shall I hack the phone number so you can attempt to communicate with her, landlady?" Kochou replied after looking up the information requested. She was aware of Miya's status since Kochou was an information Sekirei after all. Miya nodded, and Kochou hacked the number. The phone started to ring.

"Also, what of Sahashi's younger sister and Haruka-san?" Miya recalled that the three Ashikabi should have been able to get closer to each other.

"The two Ashikabi and their Sekirei were split from each other in the chaos of the battles, but have found some worthwhile allies to aid them for now. If the situations for them become something like Sahashi's own, I will inform you immediately, landlady. But Sahashi-san should come first right now."She responded.

The City of Shintou Teitou near the Eastern borders

Kazehana and Tsukiumi were staring at their handy work, having aided the Sekirei Kuruse. Kuruse had short blond hair, the right bang of hair tied with a long blue ribbon. Under the small denim jacket she had a red dress with a short skirt, a gold belt around her slim waist and her legs were covered in black stockings. In her right hand was a golden trident which she had used to stab and pommel her foes. Her eyes grew wide when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Checking it she saw the number was blocked. Curious though, she answered it.

"Hello...?" She asked as she put the phone to her ear.

"Good afternoon, Kuruse-san, would you mind handing the phone to Kazehana please." Kuruse didn't recognize the voice on the other end of the line either. Kazehana and Tsukiumi gazed at the younger Sekirei with questioning glances. Kuruse shrugged, seeing nothing wrong with the request other than the fact that whoever the person was knew Kazehana was with her and assumed it might have been someone from MBI.

"Um...it's for you, Kazehana-san." She said and handed the phone to a more puzzled Kazehana.

"Uh, hello, this is Kazehana. May I ask who's calling?" The older Sekirei asked.

"It certainly has been awhile since I last heard your voice. It's Miya, but now's not the time to reminisce on the past. Some of my tenants are being attacked not far from your location. I'll have the coordinates sent over that phone's GPS, as well as some pictures of the ones you and your team will be charged to protect. Get it done, Miya out." The no nonsense tone of Miya in Leader mode from the days of the First Disciplinary Squad had caused a shiver to run down Kazehana's spine. Few if any could command her in such a way, but Miya was one of those few. Kazehana turned to her other companions.

"Okay, looks like we'll be heading off to help out some...friends of mine. Kuru-chan, I'm going to borrow your cellphone for a bit, okay?...And looks like I know where to go! Follow me, Tsu-chan, Kuru-chan!" Kazehana leaped to another building once the GPS function of the younger Sekirei's cellphone opened and displayed the destination. Kazehana assumed it had been Matsu doing this, unaware that another information Sekirei was currently living at Maison Izumo as well.

"Hey where are you going? Kazehana-san!" Kuruse leaped after her.

"That pen name again..." Tsukiumi muttered in almost a growl as she followed them.

Wing of Darkness, The upper deck

Jirou had been running along the surface of the thick hull. He peered over the railing towards the deck, seeing that the entire facility within was well guarded. He would have to find a way within to where ever the ship's controller was located. There were a lot of tower, box, and dome like structures on the surface of the deck, several pipes leading from their sides to underneath the deck. Cannons and turrets were here as well, to provide defense against F-35s from attacking from above the airship. There were little safe zones in the air to attack the giant airship. A guard was patrolling near the edge and Jirou lowered his head while the guard went by. The guard was caught by his jet pack and flung over and relieved of his pistol, Jirou cutting the jet pack off him while also stabbing a kunai through the man's throat so he wouldn't be able to scream on the way down as he was sent in a free fall to the city below. Jirou let go of both the jet pack and pistol, then flipped over to land on the deck soundlessly. He made his way to hide by some piping nearby as yet another guard walked past.

"Hu...?" The guard's mouth was covered as Jirou brought him into the shadows of the piping, twisting the man's neck to break it. Jirou left the body in darkness as he made his way stealthily around. Jirou could sense that just like in the past, these enemies could not be persuaded or interrogated to tell of the location of the control area and would have to find it himself. Hopefully soon so he could stop the ship's attack on the city and save more lives that much quicker. Meanwhile a few of the F-35s had finally succeeded in passing over the top of the airship and peppering the deck with machine gun fire. They then fired air-to-air missiles and Sidewinders to cause more damage, but the anti-air assault turrets blasted them down before they could cause any real damage, shrapnel and fragments raining the deck but not big enough to do much harm. Seeking missiles were fired from some missile launchers on the deck to chase after the F-35s through the air, downing them soon after in screeches of metal and fire. They fell to the city below like meteors.

'Interesting...they have soldiers who use bows as well.' Jirou had expected nearly all the soldiers to have pistols or shotguns and other more modern gun type weaponry. But not all did. One guard was standing out in the open, armed with a bow, and had an arrow notched so he could draw it quickly. The arrow had a bulge near the sharp head of the arrow of which Jirou was not sure what it's use was. He guessed it was for igniting an arrow on fire for it was an old tactic from his time but perhaps made more modern in these times. The guard saw as an F-35 got closer by, having bypassed more of the ship's artillery at the belly of the airship. The jet went into a gliding hover as it faced the airship and fired a Sidewinder to slam into the some of the deck's cannons to take them out in impressive explosions a few ways back from Jirou and the bow armed guard. Missiles and machine gun fire littered the deck some more as the jet tried to maintain it's assault. The guard drew his bow, while twisting the bulge. Jirou heard it beep a few times, the guard leading in his aim before loosing his arrow from his bow. The F-35 was hit in the wing, but was not slowed at all for it was simply an arrow. Jirou knew something more was going on though with that arrow for the guard to have shot one. It came a second later as an explosion broke the wing and the F-35 stumbled through the air as it fell, utilizing it's hover function in an attempt to slow it's descent to the city below.

'So that's it...explosives are implemented in the arrow's shaft...' Jirou felt no other presence in the immediate area and made his way directly behind this archer guard, who notched another arrow to his bow. Jirou pulled an arrow from the quiver at the guard's back. The guard turned his head when he heard the sound, only to receive an arrow right through his neck. The guard fell over the rail. Jirou went to the shadows once more. He would have to check the buildings, a bit aggravated since the print alongside some of the buildings were not marked in Japanese so he could not read nor understand the language. Trying to converse with Matsu while in enemy territory like this would just give him away more easily. He would need to check each one until it lead further down within the airship itself and take out some of the automated artillery on the deck if he could. He proceeded with controlled haste.

Piers of Shintou Teitou

Hotsuma and Hibana reached solid ground. Knowing they were being watched via satellite feed, Hotsuma gave the hand signal to split up an initiate the Stealth Dash technique. Both disappeared in blurs of motion so fast that it was as if they were not even physically present along the port grounds until they reappeared just as fast, for the technique was not always active. They zipped in different directions at a seemingly random fashion, Hotsuma ending up hiding under the ledge of a roof that he clung under of one of the buildings nearby with his Spider Walk while Hibana went into a small alley filled with crates where she found a good amount of shade to hide. Both lowered the visors over their eyes. The image filtering was a map of the city and the quickest route to get towards the invading air fortress from their current locations.

"Hibana, try and remain as out of sight as you can. We've also got a couple of individuals heading here now. Can you get any visuals on them from your current location?" Hotsuma whispered, both of their masks equipped with a radio.

"Yeah...interesting, they are jumping here from one building to the next without much effort from the looks of things. Not being very quiet though. Both are dressed in black, and have silver hair. One's armed with a blade, the other isn't, but he's got a mask...can't say for sure, but I doubt he's a ninja. He doesn't tread softly enough for one. Looks like they are heading closer towards your location. Can you see them?" Hibana said. Hotsuma kept his eyes peeled for them, and sure enough they came in his line of sight not much longer, on the ground and definitely looking around for something or someone.

"Okay I see them. You sensed their aura too right? They don't seem Human despite their appearance. Nor are they Youkai...just what are they? I wonder if they are a part of those strangely dressed people we heard about from Kuzuryu-san..." Hotsuma did a diagnostics scan of the two from his visor.

"Sekirei...? Funny, they certainly seem more Human than bird...but yeah, they could very well be those weird people. You want me to find out? I wouldn't mind some chicken wings for lunch." Hibana joked with a light chuckle. She had also been scanning them. The database had the term Sekirei to identify the two, but any further description was hidden save for the words Unauthorized Access.

"Hmmm...no, we'll leave them be for now. They were referred as an indirect allied party in the fight against Zeed. Top priority of our mission should be to get on the air fortress and blow the damn thing to pieces. Preferably over the Sea of Japan rather than the city itself. It appears to be heading north east with little deviation from its course, which helps. Let's figure out a way to get on it. Hibana, you head directly towards it from your location. I'm going to circle around to bypass these...Sekirei unseen. Use your Stealth Dash out in the open in order to confuse the satellite's feed. Hotsuma out." Hotsuma flipped up to the roof and immediately used his Stealth Dash to propel along it to reach the next.

"Right. Hibana out." The Kunoichi hopped up on more crates before leaping into the air, her Stealth Dash propelling her to land alongside the wall and use her Spider Walk to run along the wall before using another Stealth Dash to zip to the side of another building. Meanwhile, Mutsu and Homura had been looking around.

"So all we know is that they dress somewhat similar to Jirou-san except in black instead of white...especially the male one. But where the heck are...?" Homura received a call from Matsu.

"Where are these two, Matsu?" Homura answered as he put the phone to his ear.

"You've missed them! They are harder to track that Jirou-tan! They use some kind of speed trick that I'm unfamiliar with...it allows them to appear as if they phase out of existence for brief moments at a time, no matter if on the ground or in the air!" Matsu was explaining excitedly.

"Slow down and take a few deep breaths to calm yourself. Just tell me where they are generally headed." Homura spoke levelly.

"Okay, they split up...the Kunoichi is headed most directly towards the airship from there. The Shinobi is headed more westward...oh wait, now he's heading more north west. Just keep an open line, Mutsu-tan should be able to locate the female easier since she isn't really changing up her course. I'll guild you towards the male." Matsu explained after a few moments.

"Alright. Mutsu, head towards that airship. Seems the Kunoichi is pretty much making a beeline straight for it. I'll head for the Shinobi." Homura said to the other male Sekirei.

"Understood." Mutsu leaped off the scene.

"Alright, Matsu-san. Guide me." Homura also took an impressive leap to aim himself more north east.

The City of Shintou Teitou (Yukari)

"What was your name again, girl?" A scruffy black haired man dressed in a cargo jacket with an a-shirt underneath and faded overused jeans asked Yukari. The younger Sahashi sibling sighed loudly.

"You're really asking to get those family jewels you cherish so much stomped to oblivion! For the seventh time, it's Yukari! YU-KA-RI!" Yukari roared, her annoyance no longer able to be suppressed for the man who was working with her to rid Zeed soldiers off the streets, was constantly asking her that. The man introduced himself as Kaoru, Seo, a construction worker. Like with her brother, the gruff man had twin Sekirei. They had introduced themselves as #38 Mitsuha and #39 Mitsuki. Both Sekirei had long blond hair done up in pig tails on either side of their heads, and both wore the same form fitting dresses though of opposite colors: Mitsuha was identified more easily as having the two toned dress with black sides and yellow centered stripe down the middle, while Mitsuki's was the other way around and had yellow sides and black center. Otherwise the dress was exactly the same type for both, a single piece dress that showed a fair amount of cleavage to peek out. They also had opposite colored chokers, Mitsuha's black while Mitsuki's was yellow. Both had the same white gloves over their hands and long stiletto heeled black boots that went up past their knees.

Physically, these twins were much closer in overall appearance when compared with Hikari and Hibiki who were able to be told apart far easier due to Hikari's bigger bust size. As Mitsuha and Mitsuki were weapon type Sekirei, their weapons of choice were another glaring difference between them. Mitsuha used a black whip and could swing it with enough strength to crack solid concrete. Mitsuki used string wire that could constrict her opponents and leave them open for assault by her sister. Though it also helped out Shiina to use his powers to take out immobile targets with his Decay/Death abilities, which were in opposition to Kuusano's abilities to grow and manipulate living things like plants and trees.

"Yukari-chan!" Shiina called out, invoking a black aura somewhat like a shield when Yukari's voice got the attention of more soldiers and they fired upon her and Seo. The bullets rusted and became brittle, cracking apart the further the went into the black aura. Mitsuki manipulated her strings to tangle up the guns of some other soldiers while Mitsuha closed in on them with her whip, smacking them hard enough to break bones easily.

"Damn these guys...splitting me up from my bro and attacking innocents! Shiina, show them no mercy!" Yukari ordered with a wave of her hand, adrenaline fueling her bravery. Shiina sighed, but complied. He sent out bursts of his dark energy at the enemies at range, piercing their hearts through and disintegrating skin and armor alike. Few could resist his destructive powers, doubly so for these mindless soldiers who attacked whatever they pleased. The soldiers toppled over dead in the streets.

"Good, that's taken care of. MBI should be able to handle the stragglers. Yukari-chan let's try and find Minato-san and Shigi-san." Shiina said as he turned towards his Ashikabi.

"Right...but man, this is scarier than I thought it would be...these soldiers are brutally merciless. It's not the same as fighting Sekirei in a one-on-one battle. More violent too...Shiina, it doesn't gross you out? Sekirei are more resilient to injury when killed...unlike us Humans." Now that the adrenaline of the fight passed, Yukari gaze still shown with some fear. It was tough to put on a brave face. Shiina smiled at her serenely.

"I am, but I can't hesitate if you're in danger, Yukari-chan...so please continue to be brave a little while longer..." He said gently. Yukari knew he was right, Sekirei battle or otherwise should not phase her, so she would continue to be strong. Seo punched her lightly in the shoulder, though it still stung a bit since he didn't seem to know his own strength sometimes.

"Cheer up! We've got some ground to cover. So where were you separated when you first met up with your bro?" He asked, Mitsuha and Mitsuki making their way to either side of him.

"Um...well...?" Yukari's face became thoughtful. Seo scowled.

"You don't remember? Come on...wait, what was your name again, girl?" Those words were infuriating.

"You...!" She snarled. Seo smirked. It was fun getting a rise out of the younger folk. Yukari made it far too easy for him, but it still gave him a laugh.

The City of Shintou Teitou (Shigi)

She twirled in the center of the opposition, getting so close that gun fire would only get their comrades shot instead, so they resorted to knives for the offensive but could not get close enough. A naginata went cutting thorough flesh and bone with ease, a dance of death ensuing. Zeed soldiers toppled over in their own blood. Finally the last wave could be pursued by MBI and the police to shoot down the stragglers with little casualty.

"That was quite a close call. Thank you, Haruka-san. Your Sekirei's defensive abilities allowed me to close in and finish off the rest of these opponents with relative ease and without injury." The naginata wielding Sekirei, introducing herself as #87 Kaho, said and offered a polite bow once she got back to them. Bodies of fallen Zeed soldiers were strewn about the streets nearby, cut down by the spear like weapon Kaho used. Her manners earned a blush from both Shigi and Kuno, never having received praise for the defensive nature of Kuno's for offensive abilities were much more common and useful in their eyes. Kaho had long dark hair tied behind her head in a style akin to Miya's though with a more styled use of ribbons. Her garments were like Musubi's though, but with an actual full length hakama. The stitching of her haori, and sleeves were opposite of Musubi's red cords, light blue in color instead. This also held true for the protective gloves over her hands.

"Yep, yep! Those tunes were definitely rocking! Guess a more apt term would be rock solid, get it?"Another Sekirei appeared by Kaho's side, a slim woman with a light complexion and long silver hair. The white dress she wore was a form fitting white with an open front to show a fair amount of cleavage and her stomach, two black belts crossing just below her belly button. She had introduced herself as #65 Taki. She was also a defensive/assist type Sekirei, but unlike the use of shielding with songs like Kuno, she could create a thick mist that was hard to see through even with special optics. She was easily the most well endowed of the three Sekirei here with Shigi, and also surprisingly extra cheery for such a mature looking Sekirei. The added praise just made Shigi and Kuno blush darker.

"Uh, well...your welcome, Kaho-san, Taki-san. But...we just did what was right, ya know..." Shigi said in a low voice, trying to get his blush more under control.

"There's safety in numbers, and although I'm the only offensive based Sekirei between us three, I'm sure we'll fare well enough until you get to your friends, Haruka-san. Also I mean no offense, but you look like an upstanding young man who will not forcefully wing free Sekirei." Kaho smiled cutely. Shigi shrugged, though he hoped she wasn't trying to term him as too boyishly innocent in the ways of pleasing the fairer sex or something.

"True, plus with a winged Sekirei who can have access to a Norito like Kuno-chan, we should be set! But let's run if we end up biting anymore than we can chew." Taki's smile was broadening as well.

"Yeah...that's definitely a...sensible thing to do if things start rolling down hill." Kuno acknowledged, though she still wasn't feeling fully confident in her own abilities but knew she had to shake the negative emotions off.

"Yes, a valid strategy. We should get going and let MBI take care of cleaning up and reinforcing their defensive positions now that we left things open." Kaho agreed. A voice halted them before they could leave and get too far away.

"Whoa, whoa, where do you think you're going? Are you planning to wing those two freed Sekirei? Otherwise I'll take them off your hands..." Hayato appeared nearby, seeming by himself, but that was highly unlikely in all the chaos going down in the city.

"You're...? Oh crap...! Mikogami of the South?!" Shigi tensed up, his teeth grit together. Five Sekirei encircled their group. Amehane, Yomi, Yashima, and two others.

"Sorry, nothing personal, just following orders you see." A tall female Sekirei with a short blue hair said. Her clothing consisted of a violet top and matching color miniskirt, allowing most of her lower torso be visible. The fingerless gloves she wore covered her arms just shy of reaching her shoulders, where the number 72 was tattooed upon her left shoulder. She was twirling some daggers expertly with her fingers. Her amber colored eyes were trained on Taki and Kaho, the ones closest her location.

"Oh, you sound so cool and serious, Natsu-sama!" The Sekirei next to the one called Natsu was dressed in somewhat similar fashion, though the material of her clothing was wool rather than leather, the number 44 stitched at bust level upon the turtleneck garment. Her dark hair was a lot more tame then Natsu's as well, ending in a tail at her back. She did not appear to have a physical weapon like Natsu though. Obviously, Natsu was #72, while the other was #44. It was rare for an older numbered Sekirei to admire a younger one though.

"Focus, Yosuga." Natsu spoke firmly. Shigi tried to talk to Hayato, to at least reason his way out of a confrontation because Hayato was considered one of the strongest Ashikabi, since it was rare for Ashikabi to have such a large amount of Sekirei. The only other ones were Higa of the East and Sanada of the West. No one took the title for Ashikabi of the North. Though maybe Minato could be a viable candidate.

"Mikogami! Please, let's not do this! There's a bigger threat going on here!" He called out to Hayato, who simply shrugged.

"Maybe so, but it has allowed nearly every hiding wingless Sekirei to come out of the wood works, so I'm going to get more! Starting with those two!" He pointed to Kaho and Taki.

"So...what will you do? You technically have three Sekirei at the moment...want to make it a Battle Royal? One-on-one? Choose carefully, you are a grown up after all!" Hayato chuckled. Shigi continued to grit his teeth together nervously.

The City of Shintou Teitou (Minato)

"Damn it! How did this happen?!" Minato growled harshly to himself. Being a good Samaritan hadn't so far made his luck change all that much in a positive way. He was split from his Sekirei, and could only hope they would last until any sort of help arrived. He was praying for someone to save them, because he knew he was too weak to assist them in any other fashion. After he aided a large group of Ashikabi being swarmed by Zeed soldiers and repelling them enough for MBI and the police to finally get more headway in the face of the enemy's heavy artillery, these same Ashikabi had their Sekirei turned against Minato's own.

Minato had been forced into joining them in assisting for a man name Higa, who Minato only knew as the president of a company that dealt with hospitals and pharmaceuticals like MBI did. Kakizaki was apparently the right hand man of Higa, though ironically sported a cast over his right arm himself. Higa himself was not actually present for the fight itself though. Despite their honey words, many were just lies and Minato had seen through them clearly and knew he had no choice but to refuse. The young man hoped that it could be done without violence, but that turned out not to be the case. Kakizaki and the others ordered their Sekirei to attack Minato's own. Trying to escape hadn't proven successful as they had tried to pincer Minato and his Sekirei, forcing a fight to get away. Minato was impressed at his own Sekirei's innate strengths, and they were even able to down some of the weaker Sekirei with single blows of fists or lightning.

Unfortunately, they did eventually get overwhelmed, two Sekirei on Higa's Ashikabi side, one garbed in traditional shrine maiden getup somewhat like Musubi's who was called Shi(#40) and another also dressed rather traditionally but in even longer garments of a full kimono called Himeko(#15) were stronger than the other Sekirei on Higa's side and were able to drive a wedge between Hikari and Hibiki to effectively cut the twins power in half. Both #40 and # 15 were close range weapon types, Shi using large arm blades hidden in the flowing sleeves of her uniform while Himeko's was a circular bladed weapon meant for even closer range than Shi's and could be manipulated with both hands.

Disregarding rules, Toyotama and Ichiya took on Musubi. Ichiya was sent in first to size Musubi's skills up in a one-on-one battle and then Toyotama went and double teamed against Musubi. Taking things yet a step further in disregarding even more of the Sekirei Plan's rules by threatening an Ashikabi, two other powerful Sekirei named Sai(#31) and Kaie(#62) went to either side of Minato and held him down, making him unable to do anything for his Sekirei or himself. Kicking and shouting availed him nothing but their sneers. He was now cursing himself for not being strong enough to help his Sekirei in some way, being forced to his knees and made to watch his Sekirei fight the ones of Higa.

He knew Sekirei were physically stronger than Humans though and was effectively unable to do anything, struggling futilely against Sai and Kaie's hold on him. Sai had somewhat reminded him of Yukari in a sense physically since they had a similar petite body type, though Sai wore a rather indecently low cut tube top and some leather bloomers with a large belt over her waist. Gloves and stocking adorned her forelimbs. Her blonde hair was cut short and tussled in appearance. Her weapon of choice were stylized curved knives that had rope attacked to the loops of the knife ends, somewhat like kunai. As for Kaie, tufts of hair at the top of her head made Minato think of a cat girl from plenty of anime shows he watched in his youth, complete with a collar like choker around her neck. Her clothing consisted of something like a one piece swimsuit and hugged her curves. Kaie had whips curled in her fist.

"Your Sekirei are actually quite powerful, Sahashi-san. It's quite surprising really. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider? I can stop this in the blink of an eye." Kakizaki spoke smoothly. Luckily the number of Higa's Sekirei hadn't all been killed except four of the weaker ones being terminated from the game while the others that were knocked unconscious being transported back to East hospital to rest and heal. They would still be needed by Higa after all. Minato snarled, his mind racing. He wanted no part of Higa, nor did he want his Sekirei to be killed off. He knew not who to wish for, though Jirou and Miya came to mind for some reason, for they were so strong from the spars Minato had witnessed of them. Jirou was fighting to get to the airship, and Minato wondered if he had found a way on it yet.

"What do you hope to gain by forcing Ashikabi and Sekirei to join under Higa? It was as plain as day to see in the eyes of those others...a lot didn't want anything to do with him, but are filled of fear by defying him. How can anyone be happy with a life like that? Please...! Let my Sekirei go! We've done nothing that calls for this!" Minato tried to reason with Kakizaki one last time. The suited man sighed.

"It's not what you haven't done today, Sahashi...or rather, do you mind if I call you Minato? Well, Minato-san, it's not what you haven't done today, but what you might do against us in the future that counts. We don't want to find ourselves on the wrong side of those who hold true power. He who holds the most Sekirei has the most power. My master has that power. You could be part of something great, and we could eventually rid MBI of its hold on the city and take charge of it ourselves." He explained.

"But...!" Minato began to protest but Kakizaki interrupted.

"If you're going to spout that drivel about how tyranny leads to more tyranny, it would be best you held your tongue We know all too well...we just don't happen to care. Not when true power is strength of numbers." He said. Minato didn't speak a word and turned away to watch his Sekirei. Hikari and Hibiki were panting quite a bit and sported some fresh cuts and torn clothing but nothing serious. Electricity ran the length of their arms, but it was pitiable in comparison of what they could usually create if right next to each other. Their opponents were getting tired too, and jolts through their weapons if they tried to block the lightning strikes didn't prove effective since their weapons were metal after all. Hikari and Hibiki had tried to get closer together, but their opponents already knew all too well that keeping them apart was the easiest route to go.

Musubi might as well be fighting naked though, for her skirt was ripped apart and barely hanging on her hips, her stockings torn and frayed, and her hoari ripped nearly off her shoulders. She was still smiling in excitement though even through her panting, eyes focused and making sure to keep both Ichiya and Toyotama in her line of sight. She had done a number on those two by herself,both sporting bruises from Musubi's strong punches pommeling them. Musubi also landed a solid kick to Toyotama's stomach when the Sekirei tried to defend with her bo staff, only to have it split in half for Musubi's attack to drive her backwards. Musubi was now sidling her feet to prepare another offensive.

'Damn...they're so brave...and I can't do anything...landlady...Musashi-san...how can I bolster the courage to live and the strength to never give up if the very people I want to live for end up dying? Please...' Minato wanted to close his eyes to all this, but he forced himself to watch rather than look down and away, where his broken cellphone had been crushed under the heels of his Sekirei captors to prevent him from trying to call some extra help if he could. He had refused to join Higa, and to go back on his words now and submit just didn't feel anymore an option than it was the way of a coward. He was trying not to be a coward any longer, he would observe and he would now pray and hope.

'Hesitation is the true enemy...' He thought of Jirou's words, wondering if there was mental application as well as the physical. Could something good occur if he chose to hold to the fact that he would be sentencing himself and his Sekirei to a form of death no matter which choice he took and that if he must go down, he wanted to see how his Sekirei went down in glorious and horrible combat? Of which no amount of witnessing one-on-one battles between Sekirei could prepare him for? Could the impossible really become effortless in any form so long as he held on and kept in sight his true enemy? Or was Minato grasping for a needle in a haystack by trying to hold on to some form of hope?

"I won't let it end like this...I can't...I just can't! Hear my wishes...!" He hadn't realized he was saying the words aloud. The Gods seem to be favoring him in some sense, for he felt a calm stirring in his mind as wind caressed his wounded body from his earlier struggle to get free of Sai and Kaie. But then he noticed Sai and Kaie being blown away by the wind, and had to tilt his head in thoughtful curiously. Kakizaki also hadn't expected it either though, only gaping as the two Sekirei had been sent off their feet.

"Have to hand it to such a brave young man willing to hold on to life and try an bare witness to the suffering of those he cherishes. It gives him that certain...sex appeal." Kazehana spoke, lifting a wobbly Minato up to his feet, and he tumbled back, face twisting to bury into her cleavage.

"My...that is rather bold too! But there, there...your alright, young man." Kazehana chuckled. Minato was trying to gain control and apologize but could utter not a word in the face of such a mature looking beauty. He was left even more tongue tied as she winked playfully at him.

"You...Kazehana, Sekirei #03? But how...? When?" Kakizaki had been surprised alright. Kazehana aimed her palm at him.

"I think you need a lesson yourself, sir. How would it feel if you got bullied by Sekirei? Let's find out." A blast of wind got Kakizaki in the torso and shoved him back hard, tumbling on his side. His cast was still in tact but he growled as it hit the concrete and jarred his still healing limb. One of the lens of his glasses popped out of the frame.

"Kakizaki-sama!" Both Ichiya and Toyotama called out. Kuruse was by Musubi's side.

"Why does this look like a two-on-one? Two-on-two is much more fair!" The Sekirei aimed her trident at them.

"So that dope had more allies? You're all his then...?" Toyotama said in annoyance, gripping the two halves of her broken bo staff in each hand like two batons more fiercely. Two spiraling streams of water went zipping at Shi and Himeko. Both guarded but the force of the attack sent them tumbling. Hikari and Hibiki seem to grow paler at the sight of the attack that aided them, for it could only mean one thing.

"Knaves! Thou shalt not pull wool over mine eyes again! What have thee to say now?!" Tsukiumi hopped on the scene, angry scowl directed at the Lightning Twins.

"What a load of bull...! Today has seriously got to end on a good note since our luck so far just sucks!" Hikari grumbled.

"Twice in one day? Like right out of the frying pan and into the fire...eh, water this time I guess. Boiling water, maybe?" Hibiki's shoulders sagged. Tsukiumi had been kicking them six ways to Sunday after all. Seeing the fear in Minato's eyes as he glanced at Tsukiumi, Kazehana called out to the water Sekirei.

"Easy, Tsu-chan! I think they are the Sekirei of this guy." Kazehana said. Tsukiumi stiffened.

"That infernal pen name!" Tsukiumi looked absolutely livid as she glared at Kazehana's direction.

"Oh right, sorry! But seriously, pull in the reigns some...oh yeah and your skirt, those pure white panties are flashing people again." The older Sekirei chuckled. Tsukiumi's face got redder.

"Silence! Doth thou wish further embarrassment upon me?" Tsukiumi's fists were clenched together tightly. Regardless, the tables have been turned in Minato's favor. Kakizaki rose to his feet gingerly, thinking of how to best respond to this development.

Five blocks north of MBI Tower

The streets, the sidewalks, and the surrounding buildings were stained with blood. Cut apart corpses of Zeed soldiers littered the ground by the hundreds. Karasuba took a stroll at an easy pace, not really caring about the destruction she wrought. She was having barrels of fun with this.

'These guys are something...they don't retreat and go crying like little babes trying to suckle their mother's tit...they stand their ground and fight to the last breath of life is extinguished from them...wow...' She was unaware of the grin plastered on her face, almost as manic as one Hiroto might display. More Zeed soldiers came along and tried to blast her away, one having a rocket launcher handy which he aimed quickly at her and open fired.

"Heh...!" Karasuba moved through the gunfire like a dance, before leaping on the rocket as it came by, kicking off it to let it explode against the street a few blocks down. She descended upon their ranks like a hawk, her blade moving like it was a flash of light as it cut the soldiers in half. They continued to try and land a hit, screams of pain not phasing the ones still alive and able from turning tail and running, just backing up some to keep using their guns. It didn't avail them anything but they fought regardless. Karasuba left only the rocket launcher using one standing.

"Any last words?" She drawled sweetly as she stood close to him. The soldier reared his foot back to try and kick her away as he got another rocket armed in the rocket launcher. His leg was taken off above the knee by her weapon and she shifted out of the way as he toppled over. The rocket blasting up straight into the air before it fell on top of him and exploded. Karasuba was already long gone and making her way elsewhere as she continued to prowl for more prey. She had given up trying to interrogate any of them for they did not respond with words by torture. Their screams meant they felt pain, but not enough so to reveal anything apparently. So Karasuba did what she did best of course. Benitsubasa and Haihane leaped down from a building and joined her.

"Oi, Karasuba! You could have warned us that you would take the ground while we got the roofs instead of just leaving us there without a word! These Humans are annoyingly ruthless. But real stupid if they thought they could take on Sekirei with sheer numbers...! What's with that silly grin on your face? It's creepy!" Benitsubasa was ranting.

"...I'm so wet right now." Karasuba purred and walked past them.

"Wha...?You mean from all that blood on you from the enemies...or...?" Benitsubasa stuttered, her cheeks red.

"...Sexual excitement?" Haihane offered to finish as she too looked to Karasuba's back, then shared a queer glance with Benitsubasa. The Black Sekirei paused, sparing a half glance in their direction once they looked at her again. Her grin calmed a bit to a demure yet still wicked looking smile.

"Guess." Was all she said, turning and continued to walk. An explosion of fire caught their attention. Two figures were standing by the edge of a building a couple of blocks further. They saw two black garbed figures, but Karasuba was more interested in the flowing red scarf and the peaking of a sword strapped to the back of one of them. The one closest to the flames.

"So...#06 found him? Interesting!" Karasuba left by jumping high up into the air in their direction.

"Is that the white ninja...? He change clothes or something?" Benitsubasa shrugged and followed with Haihane. Meanwhile, Homura had finally cut a place to halt Hotsuma, hurling an impressive ball of fire to trap him, or so he believed for a time at least. The Shinobi and the male Sekirei squared off with one another. Hotsuma's arms were crossed over his chest, ignoring the flames close by.

"You, Shinobi! Who are you?" Homura demanded. Hotsuma did not respond but looked somewhere else, Homura following the gaze as he heard the thump of feet nearby.

"The Disciplinary Squad?...Shit." Homura muttered. Karasuba looked around.

"Was that the white ninja you were fighting? Where is he?" Karasuba questioned, her tone stern despite the excitement clearly showing in her eyes. Homura looked back where the black Shinobi had paused in the flames left behind, but sure enough he was gone again. Homura swore under his breath.

"Not sure...he was dressed in more appropriate colors if he was." Homura lied. He knew that letting them on to other ninja in the city with seemingly similar skill sets to Jirou's own would be like fanning a flame, spreading to Minaka. If the black Shinobi happened to be an ally, Homura wanted to ensure he was kept on the down low. So far it could be done from the sky as Matsu had hacked the satellites, and now with Kochou adding some extra twists, it effectively could double downtime MBI tried to regain controlling of the satellites and be left in the dark in some form.

"Damn...Beni-chan, Hane-chan, spread out and look for him. As for you, Mr. Sekirei Guardian...that ninja is my prey, so back off unless you want your head rolling off your neck." Karasuba warned. Homura brought his hands up. If she was giving him a choice, of course he would choose to live.

"Easy now...I'm outta here." He jumped away and got a few blocks away before pulling out his cellphone, not wanting to overstay in case Karasuba felt like killing a Sekirei in the middle of this war too. Just as he was about to call the inn, he got the call from them and chuckled a few moments before answering it.

"I guess you saw that the Disciplinary Squad is out and about? They think the ninja they saw is the original one we all know. I don't want them getting too much word that there's more than one just yet. Do you know where he's headed?" He questioned as he decided to keep moving a few more buildings away from the Disciplinary Squads location.

"He's starting to zigzag his way towards the airship. Hopefully those three won't find him, though right now they aren't headed near his general direction, which is good...uh oh..." Matsu seemed startled by something.

"What's wrong, Matsu-san?' Homura didn't like the tone of her voice.

"Kochou-tan has been monitoring our allies. Looks like our new friends Shigi-tan and Kuno-tan were helping out some wingless Sekirei take on those Zeed soldiers, but the Ashikabi of the South has them at a disadvantage. Your closest to them, and it is right up your alley as far as job description. I'll lead the way. Hurry!" Matsu explained. Homura sighed but complied.

"Damn, no breaks today it seems. Mikogami of the South right? He's pretty far away from the southern border though..." He muttered as he began jumping in the direction Matsu guided him.

"You have to be extra careful of this one, Kagari-tan. I've heard that Mikogami of the South has been on the prowl for a Single Digit Number for quite a while, and you happen to be one." She warned between direction giving.

"Yeah, I'll be careful." He responded.

'Tsukiumi is in the middle of all this too...I hope she's safe...no, she's a tough one...she should be alright.' Homura considering asking Matsu to look for the water Sekirei but held back. That was just like giving ammunition away and waiting for it to be fired back at him by the perverted Sekirei.

Near the north eastern part of the City

Hibana was aware that the leaps of the male Sekirei were going to catch up with her eventually. She wasn't planning on using the Oboro clan's Ninjutsu to escape, for they were the trump cards. The last resort. Her combination of acrobatics and the Stealth Dash had gotten her quite far, but Mutsu was finally beginning to close the distance. She saw his shadow cast as she was running across the roof of another building. He had finally gotten in front of her, landing in a combat crouch with his eyes trained on her for sudden movements. She simply put her hands on her hips and sized Mutsu up for a bit.

"Well, you got me. Now what?" She said simply.

"I'd rather not fight an unnecessary battle. You've got some questions to answer though." He remarked, keeping his stance calm and passive.

"Questions, eh? But nothing you need to concern yourself with I'm sure. Now if you could be a gentleman and step aside...I've got a big weapon to take down, and not a whole lot of time to do it." She waved her hand at him in a shooing gesture. Mutsu chuckled.

"Well that tells me you're not a cohort of the enemy, though I never believed you were to begin with...but that is only one reason you've come here to the capital...tell me, are you of some relation to the Oboro?" Mutsu was impressed that she hadn't flinched or batted an eye at his question about the Oboro. A true master of her emotions. As well as over her aura. It hadn't given anything away.

"Could you elaborate? I've got no clue as to what you're talking about. All I know is that you're in the way, wasting time. Time that is precious." She placed her hand over her sheathed ninjatou but did not draw it yet. It was still a clear sign of hostile warning.

"Then I'll be blunt. Kunoichi, are you here because of the white ninja?" Mutsu questioned. It had been another voice that spoke.

"And if we were, what makes you so keen to find out? Are you an ally of his?" Hotsuma was at Mutsu's back. Mutsu turned to face the black Shinobi.

"Troublesome...I hadn't even sensed you back there nor heard a sound...you two are a lot like him, I can tell enough by what I'm witnessing, even if it was a small display." Mutsu could see that despite the more modernized gear and equipment these two seemed to have, they still moved with that same speed and grace Jirou had. But rather than a grappling chain, they seemed to be able to phase out of existence then appear again to reach the places they chose to.

"You're nearly at full strength, but still recovering from a recent injury. You have no chance of fighting one of us if you're not even in completely top form, much less both of us. You're trying to protect him in some way, but it's useless. What information about himself has he told you?" Hotsuma had not drawn his weapon nor made any attempt to reach it, but Mutsu knew he was outclassed as he doubted he could trick these two into any of his earth based attacks. What Jirou was apt about sensing, these two also were taught and were more seasoned than Mutsu. He was at a real disadvantage even if he was a Sekirei, and he knew it.

"Enough to wager you two must be related to the Oboro, as he is. I've heard in passing that ninja hunt down their own to stop the spreading of secrets. If that's the case, I implore you to listen to him first...he was as unaware of any Oboro still in existence, just as the rest of the country knew nothing either. He's on that airship right now to stop it. You'll likely meet him there." Mutsu spoke solemnly and evenly. Hiding anything would likely be more detrimental. The male Sekirei knew that Jirou had been the Ashikabi he reacted to originally, and whom he was compelled still to protect in some form, even indirectly like this. Hotsuma did not move, as still as a statue. After a moment he turned his head to Hibana.

"Let's go. As for you, go help the civilians still in need of aid. You've my appreciation for your honest words. I was planning to listen to his words before passing judgment regardless. But there is still the mystery of your kind, Sekirei. Another time though." Both Hotsuma and Hibana were black blurs as they jumped away. Mutsu sighed.

"These ninja are something else..." The male Sekirei muttered. He would try and regroup with Homura, and left the scene himself. He was sure they would find ways aboard the airship, since Jirou himself did. Now Mutsu wished he had a cellphone now to get in contact with the inn. Oh well.

Maison Izumo, in the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

"Mutsu-tan let them go...guess they aren't hostile except to Zeed as we had hoped. Too bad we can't contact him to get more of the details. Besides that though, there is still a lot of chaos going on out there..." Matsu said, sounding fatigued. Two and a half hours had passed since the battle had started, and she and Kochou were still having trouble trying to disseminate anything about the airship, since the encryption was hard to unlock as the language used was nothing either one had seen before. Trying repeating steps wasn't much help either, since the interface seemed to be aware to an extent and change things up. Nothing earth based helped them. It wasn't anything relative to Sekirei either, stumping the two. Miya began to leave.

"Eh? Miya-tan, where are you going? You don't want to watch anymore?" Matsu asked. Miya turned and offered a quaint smile.

"I think I'll take a stroll. Besides...I'll want to be in a position close by if Jirou decides he wants to see how I take care of business. So...I'm taking this portable ear set. Patch him through directly to me if he calls, okay? I'll leave it to you, so please excuse me." Miya left before Matsu could say anything else. The older information Sekirei seemed to shudder for a moment, before a strange grin came to her face. It didn't go unnoticed by Kochou.

"If I may presume, Matsu-san..." She began but Matsu shushed her.

"And you presume correctly, Kochou-tan. Guess you get the chance to see a living legend for a little bit, right?" Matsu went back to work, and Kochou could only stare with awe. She calmed her nerves again.

"Living legend...the Leader of the first Disciplinary Squad..." She spoke in a low tone. Miya was in her room, having placed the ear piece over her left ear and positioning the speaker boom tip close to her mouth. She opened her closet and reached for a stand with a katana and wakizashi set. They were held with antlers. She took the katana in hand and unsheathed the blade to inspect the edge.

"This will do." She said softly and sheathed it again. It was no Totsuga No Tsurugi, but she missed that weapon not in the slightest, and had thrown it away and not looked back just as she turned away from MBI. She looked to the shrine of her late husband and bowed before it for a few moments. She then made her way outside the inn, the sheathed weapon thrust into the belt of her obi.

The western borders of Shintou Teitou

Akitsu and Kuusano were making good time clearing up the Zeed soldiers. Kuusano was not apt to killing, and would more or less disarm them of weapons and leave the particularly nasty stuff to Akitsu. As well as their current ally.

"Let's move on." The Sekirei they met a few ways back introduced herself as #57 Yahan. She was a darkly tanned skinned woman with long midnight black hair. Her shawl, her bikini top, and her sarong buckled skirt she wore were also a dark black in hue. The sleek curves of her build were not meant for head on fighting, for she was actually a defensive/assist Sekirei, using her ability to teleport from shadow to shadow to get past her opponent's guard. She lacked the innate strength of the offensive armed and unarmed Sekirei, though compensated with the use of a curved dagger of decent size. A few blocks down they saw a couple of Sekirei beating down some more of Zeed soldiers with their fists. Both were dark skinned, though lighter in tone to Yahan's. They also wore very little, even less than Yahan as well.

The older and more mature appearing of the two had short blond hair, only a leather bra with gold stars adorning them as her top and a miniskirt at the waist. Her gloves were torn at various places from attacking the soldiers. The other Sekirei looked younger and had dark blue hair that was shorter than her companion's. Her top covered her from the the neck to down to a little past her rib cage, and unlike the miniskirt of the other one, she had leather bloomers on. Although they fought the soldiers with speed and power, like Kuusano, they only knocked the enemy out rather than go for the kill. More soldiers came and trained their weapons upon the two Sekirei. As bullets came flying at them, they were able to weave away from danger, until the dark haired one tripped over one of the fallen bodies of a soldier. The soldiers closed in and aimed their guns at her.

"Uh oh..." The blond haired one said as she rushed back to try and get the other, though there was no chance of making it. Luckily a wall of ice was erected in front of them thanks to Akitsu to defend against the onslaught. Akitsu formed the ice higher still, before manipulating it to fall over and crush the enemies under it's reach.

"Are you okay?" The two looked to see Kuusano coming up to them. The blond helped her companion to her feet and they dusted themselves off of debris. They noticed Akitsu and Yahan a few moments after, trailing Kuusano.

"Ah...yeah, thanks a bunch!" The younger looking one said as they both bowed in thanks. The blond took hand.

"Come on, gotta find our Ashikabi and Shijime-chan! Hurry!" They both ran off.

"Wait...!" Kuusano called back, but they didn't turn to acknowledge her any further, jumping off the scene soon after.

"Let them be...Kuu-chan. Don't want...chance of forceful winging." Akitsu had knelt and put a hand to the little Sekirei's shoulder to keep her from running after them. If those two didn't feel it necessary to team up or have their group follow them, then Akitsu felt it best to let them be.

"But..." Kuusano began, but Akitsu shook her head.

"They were...already winged. If you go...their Ashikabi may force wing you...I promised Jirou-sama to have Kuu-chan's back." The scrapped number explained, and Kuusano nodded in understanding. Yahan had a hand on her chin in thought.

"I think they belong to Sanada of the West. He's the strongest near these parts. Despite that, he keeps on the down low. By comparison to Higa of the East and Mikogami of the South anyway. So I couldn't tell how upstanding of a person he is. Best thing is to be careful and keep moving though." Yahan spoke, brushing some hair aside as the wind blew it in her face. Kuusano went to her place upon Akitsu's shoulders, both of them nodding at Yahan. The three leaped away from the immediate area.

MBI Tower, Tallest structure in Shintou Teitou

Takami was in her lab, Sekirei #55, Saki also hanging around. Saki dressed in a strange fusion of the traditional in terms of garments, yet had the stylistic appearance of an amazon. Cord tied sleeves and leggings adorn her forelimbs, while her top and skirt left a lot of skin showing. She had a thing for wearing ribbons, one tied around her neck as well. Her long dark hair was tied back. Her Nihontou blades were sheathed in a corner of the room.

"Still nothing found out about the missing Sekirei? Or those strange figures?" Takami asked softly as she turned away from her monitor and stretched in her seat, letting out a yawn. Saki sighed. Takami was prone to asking her this from time to time.

"Nope. But I've got a feeling...and not a good one mind you...based off some of the things Karasuba was mentioning about how those strange soldiers out there were unable to be interrogated by torture...there may be a connection, if you remember the report of mine from a few weeks back when some of the first Sekirei were being killed off and returned to the Tower." Saki informed, arms crossed as she leaned against the wall. She was originally assigned by Hiroto to spy on Takami to make sure she remained loyal to MBI due to the open appearance of distaste Takami would often show to his decision. It showed how tricky Hiroto made it to escape his knowledge. But Takami had gotten a lucky break when Saki had confessed as such to her. She played the double agent role well.

Saki favored Takami, as she also didn't like how her race was treated in the Sekirei Plan. But with the backing of the Disciplinary Squad, even she could do little, same as Takami. She would still give reports to Hiroto in regards to Takami's behavior and actions every now and again, though most of the time they reported that the scientist was still loyal.

"Oh...! Now that you mention it...shit! I had totally forgotten. Saki...remind me the next time when I go a straight 96 hours(equivalent of 4 days) of no sleep to turn in...and if that fails, knock me out but not too roughly please." Takami said, rubbing her temple of the approaching migraine. Saki chuckled.

"I'll do my best...but seriously, if there is a connection, that could mean the Chairman is somehow in league with these guys on that strange airship. Which means they might be doing something with fallen Sekirei, which means...heck if I know, but there's no way to approach the Chairman easily to find out. Especially if's toting a rigged Jinki. Besides...you remember the last time I tried to tail them." Saki stood closer to Takami, her expression serious as she looked into Takami's eyes.

"Yeah...they totally disappeared in the shades of alleys and can't be found again. Like they dissipated into thin air. Same with that tracker attempt a couple of weeks back. Sometimes I wish Yahan was around...she might be able to tell us something more since it almost seems like they are using a similar ability." Takami scowled. Saki had been able to throw a tiny tracker on one of the persons. The tracker had been left discarded in an alley.

"Yeah. Don't remind me of the remote controlled one either, or trying the hidden cameras...it'd be nice if we could get an information Sekirei in on this...but thinking on it, the blackout of the satellites have gone on far longer than it has before, don't you think? Street cameras can only cover so far. But we are pretty much in the dark from the sky." Saki bit her thumbnail in thought.

"You're right...Matsu usually would not take such chances...could she have more outside help or simply more reason to keep our hands tied because of something?" Takami went back to typing on the keyboard in front of her monitor.

"Your guess is as good as mine...but it seems to be working even still." Saki shrugged.

Meanwhile, outside on the roof of the tower, Hiroto gazed as the city that belonged to him continued to rumble and burn with chaos.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay inside, Chairman? You might get targeted." Natsuo was hanging around as well, being privileged by Hiroto to come to his office as he was the Disciplinary Squad's candidate.

"That's quite all right Natsuo-kun. Has the Disciplinary Squad gotten back to you with any further updates?" Hiroto's arms were crossed, but his pose relaxed, almost seeming asleep.

"None most recent. Still about the chance encounter with #6 Homura and who appeared to be our ninja friend. As far as regaining eyes in the sky, the techs are still trying to gain control from the hackers who took over the satellites, but it's coming along very slowly." Natsuo explained. Hiroto nodded. Takami was on standby in her lab to deal with the coming of the four confirmed terminated Sekirei. Many choppers had to be used for other relief efforts, and Hiroto did not want any other military presence outside of his own and the police on his payroll within the city. The bodies would have to be collected when the fighting cooled, but the app on Hiroto's phone allowed him to know the Sekirei belonged to Ashikabi working for Higa. That made Natsuo as sort of Hiroto's secretary for the time being. The Chairman's phone line had been blowing up, news reporting stations wanting some insight from Hiroto to see if he knew anything about the Wing of Darkness. Hiroto denied comments.

"I see. Well keep an ear out." Hiroto advised.

"Hopefully they're all right...that was a very large force that was sent into the city." Natsuo spoke up again, though did not look the least bit worried despite his words, the cheerful smile ever present. Hiroto chuckled.

"Oh don't you worry, Natsuo-kun! Kara-chan has quite the experience with these kinds of things. The Disciplinary Squad will pull through, as always!" Hiroto began to fiddle with his own phone for a bit, noticing that two other Ashikabi had their Sekirei terminated, since fights were starting break out against Sekirei since all have come out to repel Zeed then afterwords end up fighting each other. Natsuo's phone rang.

"Well speak of the devil. It's from Karasuba. Ahem...Hello, Karasuba-san. New updates?" Natsuo answered it and began to talk to Karasuba. The conversation was brief and Natsuo closed his phone and turned to the Chairman again.

"Good news, Chairman. MBI's military, the police, and the Ashikabi with their Sekirei still standing are gradually releasing the enemy's hold on the outer parts of the city. With a few more pushes we should have them all handled. The airship hasn't sent any reinforcements so hopefully they've run out or at least at a low point. They still seem to have plenty of ammo for firepower from the cannons though, so nothing can get to it from the air still." Natsuo explained.

"I see...well, regardless that sounds excellent, Natsuo-kun!" Hiroto's grin widened.

"I'm going to step inside for a little while Chairman, so call me if you need anything." Natsuo said after a few moments.

"Very well. Thanks for the the good work!" Hiroto continued to look at the far away form of the Wing of Darkness as Natsuo left. F-35s still were around it, like buzzing flies around a carcass. Regardless, no amount of firepower was able to pierce the Wing of Darkness completely from the outside.

'Okay I'll concede...you add on to the meaning of pandemonium.' Hiroto wanted to know if the voice was hearing him or not. The Chairman chuckled in amusement as he waited. Bits of static filtered into his thoughts at random intervals, but to Hiroto, it was almost like the voice was laughing. But with him or at him? Hiroto shook his head to dispel his thoughts about the mysterious being. He again looked at his phone.

"Unexpected...but it will be interesting to see the outcomes...though it would be nice if I could get a view from a satellite feed than a street cam...oh well..." The tracker app of his phone shown that two Ashikabi, Seo and Yukari, were about to have a run in with the strongest Ashikabi from the West City, Sanada. Towards the border of South City, a battle was starting between the strongest Ashikabi from the South City, Mikogami, and an Ashikabi by the name of Shigi. Nearby the East City, the strongest Ashikabi of the East, Izumi, was making his way where Minato and Kakizaki were located. Which Sekirei would prevail? Which would be lost?

Near East City Hospital, In the Eastern City of Shintou Teitou

Uzume and Ikki had helped clear up a little more areas of the Zeed menace, though they remained cautious due to the thinning numbers. They hadn't been made aware that the bulk of Zeed had been attacking Higa's and Minato's Sekirei and were mainly being occupied by that. Still, small groups of Zeed soldiers were about. Even patients from hospitals were not safe, Zeed soldiers shooting them down. That seemed to set Uzume's energy higher, and she wanted to hastily get closer to the hospital as soon as possible. It was a surprise for the two Sekirei as they chanced upon an injured woman by some wreckage near the alley a few blocks down, her hospital garment in shreds from several bullet wounds in her back. She was breathing raggedly when the Uzume and Ikki chanced upon her. When they got closer the woman looked at them with glazed over eyes.

"Please..." The woman pointed further down the alley, with whatever remaining strength she had to get here. Then her arm went limp as she breathed her last. Ikki walked up to the body and closed the woman's eyes.

"Uzume-san, she was pointing further into the alley. Let's check it out." She proposed after sparing a small prayer. The two went further in and Uzume heard a familiar voice call her.

"Uzume...is that...you?" The voice belonged to a girl of small stature and long blond hair. She was in her hospital garment, a crutch by her side. Her delicate feet were bruised and cut from hasty movement, her breathing ragged. Uzume's eyes shot open wide.

"Chiho-chan! Are you hurt anywhere?" The veil using Sekirei knelt down to the girl she called Chiho, who shot a pained smile at the Sekirei.

"I'm fine...it was Aya-san, she helped me here but..." Chiho shook her head to rid herself of reliving the escape from the hospital lest she make her state worse mentally which would also affect her physical condition more negatively. Instead she made herself smile brightly and looked at Uzume's clothing, glad that she was alive and well enough to witness it.

"Uzume...another costume...? That one is...very pretty." Chiho complimented, though weather she was red from blushing or from her feverish state, Ikki couldn't tell. Ikki did notice the rising blush from Uzume.

"Chiho-chan...thank you. But please, save your strength! I'm going to get you someplace safe...please, just hang in there...for me." Uzume seemed on the verge of tears, raising the girl up in her arms with ease.

"For you." Chiho reiterated, nodding.

"Uzume-san, you know this girl?" Ikki questioned, wondering of the adoring gazes the two shown at each other. Almost as if a winged Sekirei to her destined Ashikabi.

"I'll explain on the way, Ikki-san, but we've got to get back to the inn as fast as possible! Here, take my cellphone and see if you can get in touch with Miya-san along the way. She might have medicine to help stabilize her condition." Uzume was firm in her words, manipulating her veil to drop a cellphone into Ikki's hands. The other part of her veil took up the crutch that had been beside Chiho.

"Alright, Uzume-san...but tell me one thing first. Due to that familiarity, is she the reason you were so eager to get to the Eastern City?" Ikki questioned as she dialed the number. Uzume nodded, her gaze firm.

"Will you help back me up still, Ikki-san?" The veiled Sekirei asked. Ikki smiled and nodded. The two jumped up to the buildings, Uzume manipulating her veils to wrap around Chiho to provide warmth. Ikki drew one of her kodachi to be at the ready for any further enemies to come down by jet pack if they decided to, her other hand holding Uzume's cellphone to her ear as it ringed.

Wing of Darkness, upper deck

The enemy he could bypass without being seen, he would usually pass them up. The enemy that he knew he couldn't get around, he would assassinate them and toss the body overboard, or hide the corpse away from view. Luckily many of the enemy were still occupied by some F-35s hovering and flying around. But the jets were still unable to put a dent into the airship as a whole. Jirou had to proceed all the way from one end of the deck to the other until he found what looked like a stairway leading downward. Jirou hoped so anyway, for there appeared to be an arrow aimed downward by the side of the opening along with the strange text of the designs of which the Shinobi could not understand. The area in between Jirou's hiding place and the downward leading opening was wide and sparse, having no building or pipe closer by. He was going at a decent pace to get downward but halted just shy of entering when he heard just the faintest of noise behind him. A figure had leaped down from a nearby tower, and Jirou turned to face him in a combat stance. He realized it was something unique. Appearing to be both man and machine, making them hard to sense by aura reading.

"Fushin Clan?" Jirou questioned of the strange being, for he was garbed nearly head to toe in orange save for a large amount of his upper body region, which had strange synthetic blueish gray skin exposed with many ridges and groves but still maintained a mostly humanoid form. His right arm had large bands of metal covering from the shoulder down to his hand, almost like a shell. Metal also shown from the exposed areas near the collarbone which were of polished silver like the exposed metal of his arm. The same was for the back of the uniform, which had form fitted metal plating there. The forehead part of his yellow mask had two metal horns jutting upward. As the ninja stood, Jirou saw beady red eyes that shined like rubies. The Fushin Ninja brought up the large single bladed sword to rest across his shoulder. Jirou stood up and placed his own weapon so the blade was parallel with his arm and aimed skyward.

"I've been wanting to meet you, Oboro Ninja. The fish that got away. The time traveler. I'm aware of who you are!" The Fushin Ninja spoke, voice also sounding like it had a robotic and automated undertone. Still, this ninja was confident as he was arrogant.

"By whom?" Jirou questioned firmly. He had told that only to the people at the inn. That both Zeed and the Fushin survived after all was unsettling, and that they were aware of him traveling through time making it doubly so, but Jirou maintained composure.

"Zeed, our benefactors. No, you will not be told who is the Leader of Zeed and ourselves so there is no need to probe further. Rather, you should join us, or are you so sure that you can handle the evolved arts of a Shinobi of this future?" The Fushin Ninja taunted. Jirou spared a soft chuckle. For the Fushin may have evolved as a whole, but Jirou could see that they retained little of the old teachings and practices, based off the arrogance the Fushin Ninja possessed. This Fushin Ninja would have to learn it the hard way, with his life. Or whatever left of it remained Human.

"Do you truly believe you can hold a candle to the undiluted ancient arts of a Shinobi from the past?" Jirou took his combat stance again, as did the Fushin Ninja. The two began to strafe to the left of each other.

Unknown

'Fascinating! Yes...truly so...!' The only source of light amidst the darkness was feint blue light. The light expanded and receded in brightness, like the pulse of a beating heart.

'Human Who Plays With Lives...you but control pawns of a city...those who try to bring meaning to the meaningless...' The light was spherical in shape, encased in a cage not unlike that of ribs, blackened to meld with the darkness itself.

'I...control the very lives of your world...they, who are but sustenance when I so desire...' Eyes that glowed of sapphire only appeared in the darkness when the light receded, revealing no other shape nor sense of height.

'My Greatest Creation...not by the birth of flesh of which I do not possess...rather, by the experiences I pelt upon you...like casting stones upon still water to witness the ripples that ensue...you who I least expected, but had hoped to meet most...my contradiction...' Even the eyes faded to nothingness.

"When perception is whole...a speck of dust holds the truth." A voice sounded aloud to break the silence, strong and clear in tone. Static noise followed. Then silence reigned once more.

To Be Continued...


	11. Chapter 11

Super Shinobi X(Cross):

The Story #1

Disclaimer: Characters from Shinobi series and Sekirei series are the rightful property of their respective owners.

Note: Hey sorry for such a long delay, this chapter ended up being way longer than I anticipated on top of dealing with a lot of real life issues coming my way. This chapter is actually longer than the last by over ten pages, and there is quite a bit of story going on between scenes, some of which are quite important. I also lied about this being the end for this day, though I got pretty close. The final bit for this day will end near the beginning of the next chapter and start hopefully answering some of the mysteries going on behind the scenes, finally. Well maybe. Once again, the update might be slow again, so I apologize in advance.

As for Chiho and her disease/virus/sickness/whatever, I left out any kind of name for it as well as the medicine since they aren't any actual given names in the series as far as I know, so it's left to whatever the reader wants to believe it to be.

As for Winged Sekirei invoking the Norito, since there seems to me mostly stat boosts to power and speed, all Sekirei have this innately. When Incantation is mentioned, it's when they have to speak that one phrase before attacking with usually a much more potent version of an ordinary attack within their arsenal. I can't remember if they are able to be survived by the opponents in rare cases, so they are treated exclusively as instant kills in this story. That's the general impression I got from canon.

For those who have stuck to this story up to now and have continued to support it, you're all awesome and I'm deeply grateful! Hopefully I got all the story bits and scenarios in this that I needed to, and if I skimmed over some characters that should have gotten more attention somewhere, let me know. I'm human, so I could have forgotten something somewhere...

Chapter 11

Maison Izumo, within the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

"What?! Seriously?!" Matsu was rather shocked at what she heard. She never really kept much track of Uzume as far as the younger Sekirei's personal life. But this was quite interesting, if also rather depressing.

"Look, it's a bit complicated right now, but do you think you could get the medicine yourself? If we can save this child..." Ikki's words were being cut off by the sound of gunfire, it was soon silenced with a slice of her blade. Matsu conceded.

"Okay, I'll look around in Miya-tan's room to see if we have the stuff. Chances are good since a lot of the meds were from MBI so...just get her here as fast as possible." Matsu said. Ikki disconnected the call. Kochou turned to the older information Sekirei.

"So what happened?" She asked.

"Looks like Uzume-tan had a destined Ashikabi who she wasn't able to visit easily nor be winged by, since apparently this Ashikabi is sick with a disease. She was being treated, or rather maintained at least, by the staff of the hospital under control of Higa of the East." Matsu explained as she rose to her feet and stretched, having been sitting in front of her computer for quite some time with minor breaks.

"I see...I think I can piece the rest together from the info you provided. So you're going to look for medicine that can help her?" Kochou turned back to her own screen again.

"Yes. Kochou-tan, I'm not sure we'll be able to maintain control of the satellites while trying to crack through the encryption of that ship, so go ahead and take a break and stop controlling the satellites. Afterwords let's put sole focus into trying to get through the encryption, okay?" Matsu pulled out the recharging cord to her headset and made her way to Miya's room to look for the appropriate medicine for when Uzume, Ikki, and the young Ashikabi with them, came to the inn. Kochou stood up stiffly herself and stretched to work out the kinks in her limbs. She would use her break to try and help Matsu find the medicine if the older information Sekirei allowed her to be in Miya's room. Matsu was currently contacting Miya to update her on the situation, already giving a thumbs up to Kochou trailing her.

"Is everything well, Matsu?" The landlady's voice spoke after a few moments to Matsu's headset.

"Miya-tan, still no word from Jirou-tan yet, and the others are getting some aid, but me and Kochou are going to stop messing with the satellites since MBI personnel and techs are just about on to our algorithms. We are going to try focusing on unlocking what data we can from the ship, but first we need to check all the medicine that was left behind by Takehito-tan." Matsu waited for Miya's response.

"Explain." The landlady said.

"Apparently Uzume-tan has an Ashikabi she reacted to but could not be together with since this Ashikabi, Hidaka, Chiho, was being held at the East Hospital owned by Higa, Izumi due to a disease that is incurable. Using the medicine will only stabilize her temporarily though. MBI might have the full repertoire necessary to restore Hidaka completely but we'll have to check into it later. So, is it okay to look for it in your room?" The two information Sekirei were in front of Miya's room.

"Alright. The MBI based meds should be in the chest near Takehito's shrine. I'll get the full details about Uzume's Ashikabi from her later. Anything else I need to know?" Miya inquired.

"Nope, things so far seem to be fairly good, and our friends are safe or soon to be aided but I'll keep you posted of anything that goes astray." Matsu claimed.

"Miya out." The call was disconnected.

"Okay Kochou-tan, let's do what we can!"

The City of Shintou Teitou (Shigi's situation)

Shigi had decided on a battle royal since Kuno was his only true Sekirei at the moment, and unfortunately, her real use lay in support rather than a strict one-on-one. He only hoped Kaho could hold out since Taki was also mainly for support. Aware of her use of mist to try and get away, Hayato told them that should she use it as a means to try and escape by herself or with Shigi and the others, he would use all five of his Sekirei to track them down without mercy. Shigi hoped she could curb the ability some so Hayato didn't feel like resorting to that. Amehane, Yashima, and Yomi were to be their opponents.

"Shigi-kun..." Kuno spoke her Ashikabi's name in a low whisper. He was behind them, his fists clenched together, hoping they could somehow win this. Kaho was the lead Sekirei, her naginata held for a battle stance, Taki back to her right and Kuno back of her left. Yomi and Yashima were ahead of Amehane, Yomi brandishing her scythe while Yashima had her hammer. Amehane had not pulled his cloak off or anything and stood placidly, still seeming his demure self. That worried Shigi the most. Yosuga stood besides Shigi while Natsu was by Hayato, under the pretense of pulling the Ashikabi to safety should the fight break out a bit too far and the two would not be able to react in case of incoming danger. While it may have been true, Shigi felt as if he were indirectly a prisoner of Hayato's in some form, forcing Kuno to cooperate in the fight, Taki and Kaho owing them to stay as well.

"Only one offensive based Sekirei? This shall be too easy!" Yomi smirked, edging a step forward. Kaho narrowed her eyes.

'We'll see about that...' The naginata using Sekirei thought as she too edged forward. Her eyes were locked towards Amehane. Seeing this, it was Yomi and Yashima who moved first, Yomi trying to get to Kaho's right while Yashima to her left. Kaho stepped boldly forward. She would command to two defense/assist Sekirei when needed, coordinating it prior when Shigi was deciding what to do, for she was already sure that the Ashikabi would choose that as he would be honor bound to use Kuno alone otherwise despite any protest from herself or Taki.

"There is one major thing to consider with those weapons if you swing them like that while coming at me in such an angle..." Kaho spoke as she went in, slamming the long handle of her weapon into both of her opponents chests to send them toppling back.

"...it's difficult to use them for up close fights when the enemy comes in past the cutting or blunt portion, unless you hold the weapon with a wider grip and swing with them more compacted to the body." She finished as they were skidded to a halt. Both had hoped she would try and go for one and leave her back to the other, but Kaho hadn't fallen for it. Now both went directly to either side of her to force her to attack one and try and evade the other without looking. Kaho could do it easily against Humans, but other Sekirei was another matter. The two weapon types rushed Kaho.

"Kuno, my back!" She commanded and showed her back to Yashima, engaging weapons with Yomi. Kuno and sung a quick defensive barrier to protect her as Yashima slammed her hammer into the force field. Yashima was able to get past it but not fast enough to break through and get to Kaho's blindside. Kaho and come in swiftly to thrust kick Yomi away from her then turn to intercept Yashima, defending against the hammer by stepping in to lock guards with the shafts of each weapon. Kaho then did a step back, throwing Yashima from her. Yashima had her back slammed into the ground, a groan of pain escaping her lips. Yomi was at Kaho again with a quicker but more compact swipe of her scythe, cutting into Kaho's left sleeve, but only left a tiny graze on the Sekirei's forearm as she stepped away from the full brunt of the attack.

"Kuno!" Shigi gaped, just barely realizing that Amehane had moved, at Kuno's left. The cloaked Sekirei raised his arm, bringing down his elbow to the back of Kuno's head and toppling her to the ground as she let out a pained cry from the unexpected movement. Amehane than raised his foot, dropping it to perform an ax stomp on Kuno's skull.

"Damn...!" Taki had realized it and reacted as quickly as she could, grabbing hold of Kuno's arm and dragging her from the attack. Amehane's foot cracked the pavement. Taki created a medium sized mist cloud as he tried to punch the two Sekirei. Taki and Kuno dove to the male Sekirei's right as he went into the cloud. He dispersed it easily as he twisted in a complete circle, his cape blowing the mist cloud away. Kuno was able to get her vocals working despite her fear and raised a barrier that Amehane slammed into as he tried to tackle them. The male Sekirei smirked, his first sign of emotion. With an impressive uppercut, he tore the barrier apart and bypassed it. He twisted and set his foot out in a roundhouse kick. Taki grunted as she defended with her arms. She was physically weaker than Amehane though and was sent off her feet a few moments later to barrel into Kuno as both fell on their backs.

"Kuno! Taki! Get back up!" Shigi called to them. He was trying to keep his level head but he fears were surfacing more and more. Shigi knew he and Kuno lacked true battle experience, and this was one battle they could not escape from easily. Kaho gritted her teeth, wanting to help the two fellow Sekirei of her's, but that was impossible while trying to fend off both Yomi and Yashima as they started to switch up attack patterns, Yomi using quick attacks to Kaho's front to keep her eyes from Yashima who would wind up for devastating attacks with her hammer from the sides or the back of the naginata user. So far she was fending them off without much damage though one of Yashima's blunt attacks could change the tide in a second.

Amehane still had that smirk on his face, rushing Taki as she was the first to get up. Taki sprouted another mist cloud in a small radius to confuse him, but he expected it, grabbing her sleeve to keep her close.

"This ain't good..." Taki muttered. Amehane nearly slammed her face with a forearm strike, but Kuno had mustered what strength she could, running up and snatching the crux of his elbow with both of her hands. She was nearly sent flying off her feet as she tried to hold the attack back. He growled in annoyance, twisting his hand to grab her by the neck as he reeled his head back. Kuno was sent off her feet as he pulled her to him, using a head butt to send her falling to the ground with a pained moan.

"KUNO!" Shigi ran towards his Sekirei, but Yosuga caught him by the collar of his shirt. He ripped off the shirt since in was already unbuttoned and easy to remove from his person. Yosuga, was able to use the small delay to take hold of his wrist. He growled and tried to get out of her hold but she held fast.

"Let go of me!" He demanded, twisting his arm a bit more to no avail before resorting to kick her hand to try and cause her enough pain to slacken her hold on him, but she easily caught his foot and tripped him.

"Hey now, if you get too close you could end up really hurt, Mr. Ashikabi...it'll be up to her to get to you if she needs to use a Norito. She's your Sekirei right? If you get killed off, she will end up dead to, didn't you know?" She said, her tone cheery despite his aggravation. Shigi scowled.

"Shut up...I already know, but..." He was cowed still as he saw Taki try and lash out at Amehane with a knee to his groin while he had been preoccupied with Kuno for a few moments. Amehane caught it easily before lifting Taki off the ground and tossing her at Kuno, who had to roll away before Taki crashed into her. Taki grunted as her back impacted with the ground. A sound caught his ears before he went to the two defense/assist Sekirei. A fireball screamed as it sailed thorough the air, landing near Amehane. He had dodged but not soon enough as his cloak caught on fire. The male Sekirei growled as he had to take off the cloak and stomp out the flames, but it was too late and the cloak had been charred too much to be salvaged. Two other fireballs were flying through the air, arcing and landing by Yashima and forcing her to back up. That gave Kaho enough time to focus completely on Yomi, guarding the scythe while twisting her naginata, slamming Yomi in the ribs with the butt of her weapon to send Yomi back with a pained grunt.

"Fire...? It came from the sky, but where...?" Hayato swiveled his head to see where the source was. Homura descended not far from Taki and Kuno, helping the two up to their feet.

"Don't you think it's premature to be splitting focus from the real enemy around here? Those soldiers are still hanging around, so there really shouldn't be Sekirei Battles going on at the moment." The fire Sekirei spoke in a serious tone. He doubted that reason would prevail from the greed, especially with the lustful eyes Hayato shown on him.

"Wait, you're..." The Ashikabi of the South pulled out his cellphone to check something. His eyes widened in awe.

"So it's you, Sekirei #06, Homura. Awesome, a Single Digit Number! About damn time I ran into one. Become my Sekirei!" The teenage Ashikabi held out his free hand to Homura.

"Sorry, but that's not happening. You probably don't grasp the concept of friendship, and that's just how it is...but you try and harm my friends with your Sekirei...I'll burn them to ashes!" A ring of fire burst from Homura's feet, and Hayato had to back away from the intense heat. Natsu was in front of her Ashikabi.

"Hayato-sama, kiss me so I can use the Norito!" She demanded, but another gout of flames split the two from one another.

"Again, not happening! I've got minimal time to be wasting on this!" Homura wasn't scared in the slightest of facing Double or Triple Digit Numered Sekirei, since even with the Norito, they often still paled to the true force of power a Single Digit Number possessed, however there was one problem regarding himself. With the unstable side of his own powers, Homura wasn't looking to prolong things more than needed. He sent more flames to distract the other Sekirei from being able to fight, allowing Kaho, Taki, and Kuno some reprieve. Amehane had to leap back to avoid the rapid fire capabilities of Homura's ranged strikes. Yosuga was similarly being shot at by Homura and it allowed Shigi just enough time to get away to rush towards Kuno's side. His Sekirei had picked herself up from the ground, Taki following suit.

"Kuno...I'm here. It's okay." He spoke gently in her ear as she nearly fell back down. Her forehead was marred with a graze from Amehane's headbutt.

"Shigi-kun..." She whispered back. Having never really participated in any kind of Sekirei Battle, the skirmish, though short, was no less intense in their minds. Kaho was by their sides, looking around.

"Can't really say we can fight much with all this fire and destruction going on...that Sekirei is a Single Digit Number, and if I recall it correctly, he's known as the Sekirei Guardian." She called over the sound of crackling fire. Homura was by their group shortly after.

"Your Haruka, Shigi, right?" He pointed to Shigi.

"Yeah, but who...?" Shigi nodded, but Homura interrupted.

"Now's you're chance to get away, so do it! I'll lead them away!" Homura advised, turning as he heard a roar over the fire, Amehane leaping over the haze to try and punch #06's lights out. Homura evaded by backing up and shifting his head out of the way of Amehane's strikes. Soon most of Homura's flames dispersed as two pillars of light pierced all the way up into the clouds. Hayato had kissed Natsu and Yashima, activating their respective Norito.

"Rules be damned! Do it! Get me that Single Digit Number! This time...I won't let one through my grasp!" He ordered them. Yosuga was by his side too.

"Hey, Hayato-sama, me too! Let me in on this!" She called cheerily. Homura scowled under his mask. He had hoped that the display of fire would cow Hayato from trying to get to his Sekirei and vice versa, but looks like all but Amehane had pretty much been drawn to their Ashikabi to use the Norito and stop playing around all together. They already knew how much Hayato yearned for a Single Digit number, and they were going to get him one. Soon Yosuga joined them with her Norito activated upon Hayato kissing her.

"Well that sucks..." Homura muttered as Amehane had been distracted by the Norito activations, long enough to receive a fireball of decent size to send him flying a few feet away. Yomi had gone to Hayato's side also, hoping to get kissed as well.

"Damn...there's little we can do about this..." Shigi grumbled. Homura called out to him and the others.

"Stop gawking and go! You've got no chance now. You'll just be in the way at this point." The fire Sekirei claimed. Homura knew he might not be able to get away from this easily himself. Amehane growled.

"Funny...trying to be cool and all that...the lot of you might as well stay and give up. What can even a Single Digit Number do against a combination attack of four Norito abilities?!" He laughed, though his voice was horse from the wound Homura had given him, but as a Sekirei, he was still quite resilient. Yomi had finally gotten kissed and as Amehane had claimed, four of the Norito were active now.

"You should listen to reason!" Hayato called out to them, telling his Sekirei to stand down for a moment.

"I'll let the Ashikabi and his own Sekirei go scotch free, but all you wingless ones are going to belong to me. Especially you, Sekirei#06! We can do this the easy way...or the hard way, but I will have a Single Digit Number!" Hayato smirked with confidence. The confidence soon left him as the ground under his feet collapsed and he almost fell with cement and rubble from the street as if the Ashikabi had fallen into a pitfall. He clung to the edge of the hole.

"Hayato-sama!" His Sekirei called out, but were similarly caught by surprise as the ground around their feet nearly consumed them had they not reacted in time and hopped away. Natsu was able to get close and pull him up.

"What the...!" Amehane called out, only to be knocked out by a blunt strike to his head, making him topple to the ground. Mutsu was standing over the unconscious male Sekirei.

"Listen up, Mikogami of the South, I'm #05 Mutsu. I'll let you take me without confrontation if you let #06 and the others go. You want a Single Digit Number, I'll be that one." Mutsu called to the young man. Hayato gazed at Mutsu in awe.

"Truly?! But...to have two Single Digit Numbers here...please, offer your strength to me and bring me #06!" The young Ashikabi tried to bargain. Mutsu shook his head.

"It will have to come another time. I'm offering to be winged by you upon that condition. You can't eat all of your cake and have it by your side too. At least not on this day." Mutsu spoke firmly. Hayato snarled.

"You've got to be kidding me! To let an opportunity like this go so easily? Fine! All of my Sekirei will take care of this. Both of you Single Digit Numbers will be mine!" Hayato growled. Mutsu sighed, but his eyes became fierce.

"Go! Now!" He ordered, fixing a sharp glare at Shigi's group, spurring them into action. Kaho and Taki helped Shigi and Kuno respectively due to Kuno's still throbbing forehead wound. They all leaped off the scene.

"Now then...no more unnecessary distractions." Mutsu said as his foot went to Amehane's side, kicking the male Sekirei out of the way. Hayato went to the male Sekirei, trying to rouse him back to consciousness so he could help fight in the battle. The Ashikabi had let all other reason go out the window now that he had a chance of getting two Single Digit Numbers. Homura's flames formed an aura around himself.

"Well...? Even in the state to use the Norito, you think any of you are a match for two Single Digit Numbers?" He taunted. The teenage Ashikabi continued to try and get Amehane to wake. Natsu growled.

"Let's get down to business. Two Single Digit Numbers...if it is Hayato-sama's wish then so be it!" Natsu ordered, grip tight on her daggers. Though the pillars of light faded from the sky, the aura of power surrounding Hayato's Sekirei wa stills a sign that the Norito was boosting their innate strengths. Yosuga joined once she laid Hayato down a safe distance and had made the call via cellphone.

"So it comes to this, huh?" Mutsu said, seeming disinterested. Natsu flung a dagger with great speed at his location, but with a tap of the butt of his sheath to the ground, a solid wall of concrete shielded him from the projectile. Though with Natsu's boost of power, it nearly pierced entirely through. Mutsu then thrust kicked the concrete slab to fly at Hayato's Sekirei, forcing them to evade.

"We've undergone much more heavy tuning and adjustments by comparison to all of you. Better just turn away now." The flames around Homura now formed into a large dragon by the special attack called Enryu, the the snake like body coiling about like a spring. Mutsu smirked.

"Oh...? That's a good idea." Mutsu hit the butt of his sheath against the ground again, concrete slabs breaking up around him and starting to come together. The debris formed a construct that was like a golem, nearly four times as tall as a regular person and just as thick. It hunched on long forelimbs, seeming somewhat akin to a gorilla.

"What...they can create something that intricate...?" Yashima muttered. Despite the Norito activated, Hayato's Sekirei were starting to doubt themselves.

"You've got the Norito activated! Use your incantations!" Hayato ordered. The incantations were simply amplifiers to a Sekirei's own unique techniques on a level vastly above what they normally could produce.

"Those incantations are meant to terminate Sekirei, you can't subdue us in that fashion. Unless you really don't mind killing us and not having us in your ranks?" Homura informed the young Ashikabi. Homura was sure he had Mikogami figured out, and effectively this would prevent his Sekirei from fighting at top capacity from Mikogami's fear of letting yet more Single Digit Number Sekirei slip from his grasp in some form. The attacks from Norito were just that powerful where they could almost fully decide a Sekirei Battle even before it truly began.

"Dammit, that's right! Fine then they just have to overwhelm you with the boost in power! All of you, get them!" Hayato shouted firmly. Homura aimed his hand towards his enemies, Enryu slithering through the air towards them. Whether it was the hissing of the flames composing it's body or an actual guttural sound from the dragon's mouth, Hayato's Sekirei weren't sure, nor were they keen on getting anywhere near it's jaws to find out.

"Holy...! What's with this thing...?!" Yomi snarled. She and Yashima used Norito enhanced strikes to amplify their weapons, which made them shine in brilliant hues, but striking the dragon in an attempt to smite it proved useless. In fact, when their weapons passed through the flame based body, the dragon was barely distorted more than a few seconds before it reformed. Their weapons hadn't been so lucky. Yomi's scythe blade had melted right off, while Yashima's had the one end that impacted the dragon blasted off. Natsu leaped out of the way of the giant fist from Mutsu's construct. She flung light powered daggers in droves to pierce cleanly into it's hide. Though it sported many cracks, it was not hindered one bit. Yosuga came in close, using two fist hammer blow to try and take out one of the legs. She left a decent crack, but the construct had barely been moved.

"Ow...this thing is crazy hard..." She tried to shake the pain from her arms, having to roll away as the same foot came up in an attempt to stomp her flat into the ground. It swipe one burly arm across the ground, lobbing a piece of the street at her retreating form and forcing her to dive out of the way. The construct's body then twisted and lobbed another one to contend with the ranged Natsu. She leaped high to evade.

"Go for them directly! If we can knock them out, these creature techniques they got will be useless...probably." Natsu made a dive with knives bared towards Mutsu. He defended with a swipe of his sheathed sword. The impact blasted debris away a few feet. Natsu gritted her teeth as she tested how her Norito enhanced strength matched up to a wingless Single Digit Number. As they had said though, she could only see the futility of this, for Mutsu appeared to be stopping her without much effort. To further prove it, when she tried to snake one of her knives into his ribs when she thought he was distracted enough from their locked weapons, he shot his free hand out to intercept. He caught her wrist with ease.

"You do realize that I've been fighting a lot longer than you right? Just give up." He wrenched her arm to the side to leave her open and slam the butt of his sheath in her stomach. Natsu gaped, blood coughing from her mouth as she was sent skidding back, her daggers dragged into the ground to keep her from going too far.

"Natsu-sama! I don't think we can win this...whoa!" Yosuga had been preoccupied by the construct, and Homura barely had to act, his fire dragon twisting about to be an annoying obstacle to try and evade for both Yashima and Yomi.

"You all starting to realize the difference in power here? Last chance, get out of here, or I'll eliminate you from the Game." Homura spoke in a no nonsense tone, and his mask hid too much of his face to call if he was actually bluffing about terminating fellow Sekirei or not. As Sekirei Guardian he could very well be keen on taking them out, for they weren't free Sekirei anymore and could not be classified as under his watch. Natsu, being the second most level headed after Amehane when he wasn't in full on attack mode, was also like the second in command. She could see clearly even with this small skirmish that trying to take on two Single Digit Numbers working together was calling for a high chance of elimination if they continued on with this fight. Had only Homura been fighting, the four Norito powered Sekirei could have likely overwhelmed him. Since Mutsu had his back, combined with their creation techniques to basically make it four-on-four, this was a loss for Hayato's Sekirei no matter how she looked at it. The limousine of Hayato came shortly, the old butler stepping out and taking Hayato in his arms gently as he could.

"Shit...this isn't going to work! All of you, fall back!" Mustering strength, Natsu leaped over to Hayato and Amehane's fallen form and picked up the male Sekirei. Homura stopped his dragon from swarming Yomi and Yashima.

"Go, or die, your choice." He said plainly. Yomi and Yashima didn't have to be told twice.

"Wait...they can't be that powerful really...put me down Natsu! Fight them, all of you!" Hayato twisted himself free of Natsu's grip. She sighed.

"Open your eyes Hayato-sama...we are outmatched. That's the reality of things. Norito or no Norito!" She said firmly. Hayato gritted his teeth.

"I'm your Ashikabi...now do as I ordered...I won't tolerate that tone from you...from any of you!" His gaze was sharp. Natsu gave a bow.

"Alright...my apologies, Hayato-sama." She spoke and turned to face Mutsu and Homura once more. Mutsu shook his head.

"I commend you for not backing down, Mikogami of the South. But that's all I can commend. You've lost no Sekirei in battles...you've followed rules to the letter until now, approaching us with reckless abandon for their safety. An Ashikabi's role is two fold, not merely one who gives orders to be followed without question...Sekirei are not some remote controlled toy you can play with." Mutsu said, calmly and with clarity. Homura also spoke up.

"You've got strong Sekirei under you, so it would be a waste to terminate them in something that is no better than a common street brawl than an official battle. Sekirei gain strength from more than mere physical training. Positive emotions empower them more than any other typical means of training Humans undergo. Because you see them as inanimate objects, they've only gotten weaker since." The fire Sekirei told Hayato.

"Weaker? My Sekirei? What a load of bull! I'll bet you two are just trying to stall for more help. I'll make you mine, even if I have to micro-manage my current Sekirei to do it!" Hayato began to chuckle, believing he had them figured out. But he had made a grave error due to his oversight. He was no true tactician and knew not the most intricate workings of live combat of this nature, having been born a Human in such a peaceful era. The greedy mindset he currently displayed was on par with Higa, but the youth did not realize it himself. Few got the chance to walk away with his full forces like this, and he was blowing the chances down more and more without realizing. Ignorance was not bliss in this situation.

"Enough...I was willing to be winged by you unconditionally because I had heard decent things about the young man who was the strongest Ashikabi of the South, but I see that you would not listen to reason from those who you consider inferior just because you hold sway over them. Being under you would be a mistake, because you can't see beyond the eyes of greed. When you see Homura and I, you see the prize pigs you can roast on a spit. I'm not so lenient and tolerable as Homura either. If you don't turn around, one of your still conscious Sekirei is going to be terminated right in front of you with a single blow." Mutsu explained calmly, but his tone was starting to hold the bite of anger. There were those Ashikabi who showed genuine feeling towards their Sekirei and would respect their input. Hayato thought he was bluffing, the youth crossing his arms and sneering at Mutsu.

"So that is your answer..." Mutsu tapped the butt of his sheath into the ground without flare or dramatics, though still all of Hayato's Sekirei braced for something.. Nothing happened for a few moments, and they relaxed. That had been a mistake. The ground erupted behind Yosuga without warning, and she screamed in pain as she was hurled skyward in rubble and debris. Her clothing had been ripped apart as jagged pillars cut deeply into her back. When the rubble of spikes fell, so did her body as she fell to the ground on her front.

"Yosuga..." Natsu spoke barely above a whisper. Yosuga's aura had dissipated, her blood flowing across the concrete.

"Natsu-sama..." The Sekirei breathed no further, the crest at her neck fading to nothing, leaving the skin bare. Mutsu held a hand in silent prayer to revere the one he targeted as his show of respect for the one he killed. Or rather, terminated from the Game, as members of MBI might say.

"One more chance. Who else will you send to face termination? Would be a shame to start over again from scratch just because you were being too stubborn. That's just a Single Digit taking on a less powerful Sekirei who has the Norito active. What if my ally got into the mix? You could end up rock bottom like before you even knew of the Sekirei Plan's existence!" Mutsu's eyes were trained on Hayato. Hayato's Sekirei were all pretty much shaking in their boots.

"Fine...we're leaving." The Ashikabi spoke, no emotion in his tone or face as he turned away. He did not allow his Sekirei by his side however.

"Keep out of my sight for awhile. All of you!" Hayato's tone was seething now. He left his Sekirei and went towards a limo parked not too far off where a butler let him in. It soon departed. Natsu turned to the two Single Digit Numbers.

"Just because you let us go doesn't mean we won't still be on opposing sides. If you are spotted by us alone, don't expect us to show mercy despite this. Watch your backs, especially you, #05. I don't care if you were a part of the first Disciplinary Squad!" She said firmly before jumping off the scene with Amehane held in her arm after looking towards Yosuga's fallen body once more. The other Sekirei under Hayato jumped away soon after. Mutsu's creation fell to pieces as the technique was dispelled, Homura's fading in the air leaving only steam and smoke behind.

"That's a bit harsh for an Ashikabi...letting his Sekirei away from his side like that, even if temporarily..." Homura muttered. Clearly Hayato didn't like not getting what he wanted, though he seemed to stomach his pride if just barely. Mutsu turned to gaze at something.

"So they stayed after all." He said as he saw the heads of Shigi's group duck back from the roof they viewed the fight from. Kaho had rose up first and said something to the others before jumping down to where Mutsu and Homura were. Taki, and Kuno with Shigi, followed soon after.

"Amazing...though to be expected from Single Digit Numbers. Thank you very much for saving us." Kaho bowed formally to the two male Sekirei.

"No worries. Haruka-san is ...an acquaintance at this point for us, but regardless, we've got his back." Mutsu said, before turning to Homura.

"Good thing they fell for that bluff. We can't keep that attack going indefinitely after all. We still would have won, but it would have been a lot more troublesome a task to complete." He told his fellow Single Digit Number. Homura sighed.

"Yeah...that might have dragged on longer than I would have liked if they continued. But looks like we were able to get to Haruka in time, so good. I wish it didn't have to resort to a Sekirei being terminated like that, but I think it was going to come down to that regardless...oh yeah, how did you find us so quickly anyway?" Homura asked. Mutsu smirked.

"Seriously? That big fire left a large smoke trail in the sky like a beacon. How could I not find you?" He spoke with a chuckle.

"Oh, right. I did do that after all." Homura shared a chuckle of his own. Shigi's head was down. He wasn't feeling so enthusiastic, since he felt so helpless in the fight after all.

"Shigi-kun, are you okay?" Kuno noticed, placing a comforting arm on his shoulder. Shigi sighed.

"Sorry...I just wish there was something more that I can do...that I could make a difference to the Sekirei Plan or that strange army Musashi-san talked about...but I just feel useless to it all." Shigi tried to hold her gaze, but averted his eyes after a moment in his shame. Before the two could say anything further, Taki grabbed hold of Shigi's wrist and pulled him in for a hug, his head landing in the cleavage of her breasts. Shigi was red in chagrin, as was Kuno.

"Firstly, you got to change that dour attitude around, Haruka...you did make a difference with Kuno-chan. You chose to stand your ground and help defend us against those soldiers. I'm sure Kaho feels the same way...we are very thankful you came when you did." She said, stroking the back of his head like a mother to a child.

"Hey Taki-san! Could you stop...this is kind of embarrassing..." He muttered, still completely red faced, though not seeming ill content by the friendly gesture if the small grin on his face was any indication.

"Oh alright, but just remember...have more confidence. It'll take you far." She released him, leaving him a bit flustered. Kaho smiled.

"We are a team now, so we should do what we can...though I guess all we can do now is find a way to stop that big flying contraption. No more soldiers were coming from it, but it's weaponry is deadly none the less." She said. Taki nodded in agreement.

"Kaho-san and Taki-san want to still help us? Are you sure?" Shigi sobered up upon hearing that. Mutsu and Homura had ignored the little situation, conversing over more serious things that got the group's immediate attention.

"You weren't able to keep track of the black Shinobi? He got me by surprise when I tried to talk to that Kunoichi." Mutsu spoke as he adjusted his scarf.

"Oh? Sorry, but I had a run in with your old friend Karasuba, and the Disciplinary Squad. The Shinobi had gotten away under the cover of distraction between me and them. So far no one at MBI should know that there are three ninja in the city now." Homura confessed. Kaho spoke up.

"Pardon me...but do you mean there are others besides that White Ninja?" She asked. Mutsu regarded her and Taki for a moment, sensing their inner feelings by aura reading.

"Seeing as you are genuinely trustworthy, I'll tell you. That White Ninja is a friend as well, and has most likely sneaked aboard that airship already. So hopefully he can do something about it in due time. As for the other two...they are probably here for him" Mutsu explained. Homura quirked an eyebrow.

"They are after Musashi-san? But why? They are enemies from somewhere else?" Kuno asked in surprise. Shigi similarly didn't like the sound of that. Mutsu shrugged.

"Remember his story? Apparently the Oboro may have very well survived in some capacity. Nearly 800 years...and no one knew about them at all. Hmmm...but maybe we shouldn't be conversing so openly about it while outside. Homura, call Matsu and see what we should be doing now." He placed his sheathed weapon across his shoulder. Seeing as they would probably get more details later, Kaho and Taki decided to remain in the dark about it for now but it was likely to assume that this Musashi person Kuno mentioned was the White Ninja's name or some alias. As for Oboro, they were unfamiliar about it.

"Alright, Lets see what other stuff is going on around the city." Homura took out his cellphone and called Matsu.

"Hey Matsu, what should we be doing next? We already got to Haruka and the others who needed help. Mutsu's with me, though you probably knew that already." He spoke when he heard her voice.

"MBI seems to be able to take on the stragglers with more ease now that the enemy is down to a more manageable size, and rescue parties are aiding civilians that were caught up in the fight. But there's still the airship, though that might have to be left to Jirou-tan and Miya-tan. The others are doing well enough in their battles. Guess you all could get back to the inn to rest up for now while you can. But it will be best to stay prepared on standby." Matsu informed him.

"Huh...the landlady left the inn to help Musashi-san? What's she planning on doing? Wait...That?!" His voice rose a bit.

"It's the best chance if Jirou-tan can't do anything to down the airship himself. You may get a chance to witness it if you get here fast enough. But yeah...nothing else urgent to report. Matsu out." The call disconnected. Mutsu chuckled at hearing Homura.

"Well I'll be...to have that kind of influence on her...but can't really say I'm surprised." He said, a smirk on his lips as he looked up at the sky. Homura hang up the phone after finishing talking to Matsu.

"Guess we can head to the inn and rest up, but we'll be kept on standby a moment's notice. But I agree...Miya is probably going to be waiting somewhere she could get a clear shot at that thing. Let's head back." Without further word, Homura leaped up to starting making way to Maison Izumo. Mutsu followed shortly after.

"Well, guess we made it through. You two are coming right, Kaho-san, Taki-san?" Kuno said to her fellow Sekirei.

"Well duh! Lead the way!" Taki smiled. Kuno took Shigi and leaped, followed by Taki and Kaho.

The Wing of Darkness, upper deck

Jirou twisted out of the way of a swipe of the heavy blade of the Fushin Ninja, not trading strikes because he knew that the Fushin specialized in using weapons to unbalance their enemies and open them for brutal onslaught. Jirou would not give this cybernetic humanoid ninja that chance even knowing that the attacks were likely not nearly a strong as a Sekirei's own such as Karasuba or Miya. But sensing one of them out allowed Jirou to know exactly how to defend and not strain his blade or deplete ki reserves to empower himself as it was not necessary. Not knowing the true power behind the swing of his opponent and combined with the fact that the heavy blades of a Fushin were actually meant to crack or sometimes shatter other smaller blades, Jirou was not going to get his blade damaged just to find out.

A slot formed in the palm of the free hand of the Fushin Ninja, hurling buzz saw like shuriken towards Jirou with incredible speeds. Jirou smacked them out of the air, remaining unscathed. The Fushin Ninja was fast, as Jirou expected, coming in close while the shuriken proved distractions to swing the large sword two handed. Jirou stepped in rather than retract, letting the impact of the sword against his own push him to the Fushin Ninja's side. From there the Shinobi twisted, his blade cutting into the ribcage of his opponent.

"The metal of your body is rather dense..." Jirou observed, spilling black blood and wiring but it didn't slow down his opponent, who tried to slam his face with the large metal gauntlet on the right arm. Jirou evaded, but leaped fully back when a spark erupted from the armored metal of the Fushin Ninja's forearm, fragments of some piston flying out and almost connecting had the Shinobi not been keeping himself alert for any attack. Though the hood hadn't been so lucky, a decent cut in the side of the white fabric exposed enough almost see one ear, a thin line of red to the side of his cheek from a very shallow cut. With a quick parry, Jirou burst into action, slamming his weapon against the chest of his opponent with enough force to be sent off his feet for a moment. The Fushin Ninja skidded to a halt, the side and chest part of it's uniform removed to shown bits of the shiny metal of a humanoid and skeletal shape underneath synthetic skin.

Jirou had already pursued, hopping over a slash from the Fushin Ninja in an attempt to retaliate as Jirou drew nearer, slashing out with his own ninjatou. He hadn't gotten any significant hit, though was able to cut the tip from one of the horns on the Fushin Ninja's head. The Fushin Ninja had grabbed hold of Jirou's uniform from the front, just above the leather armor. The Fushin Ninja attempted to gut the Shinobi through the stomach as he drew the heavy sword back, but Jirou had drawn a kunai and cut off the bit of fabric that had been suspended in the Fushin Ninja's grasp. Kicking free, Jirou attempted to cut the metal arm cleanly off. The arm held but he was able to get into some circuitry which showered with some sparks. Jirou was almost pulled off his feet as his weapon remained stuck in the metal arm of his opponent. He was able to remove it in time to get away.

"A tricky opponent. But you can't outlast a being who does not tire, Oboro Ninja!" The Fushin Ninja crouched low, bursts of smoke billowing outward to create a thick fog. Jirou had heard the small propulsion as the Fushin Ninja leaped high into the air under the cover of smoke. Sensors allowed the Fushin Ninja to catch sight of Jirou within the smoke. The Shinobi had clamped his free hand tightly over his mask to keep the fumes out of it, his eyes closed. The smoke didn't seem to induce any side effects that pointed it to being poisonous, but regardless, Jirou maintained his calm. His eyes may have been closed but he focused on his sense of hearing to feel out his opponent. It was the next best thing if aura sensing or visibility was going to be ineffective. Jirou was already well versed in the tactics of the Fushin, and he was aware his enemy took an impressive leap to perform a killing blow from above.

This was not much different from the ancient Fushin Clan descending from gliders to rain down on their enemies. Hearing the shift in the air above his head, Jirou leaped back to just narrowly evade as the Fushin Ninja slammed into the ground with enough force to disperse a fair amount of the smoke. Jirou was at the Fushin Ninja's side instantly, two handed strikes causing more sparks to fly as he ripped more clothing on the Fushin Ninja, where black blood soaked into the orange cloth. The Fushin Ninja retaliated with a fast draw of his blade as he took it out of the ground he had pierced. Jirou never let his defense down, parrying to slide back into the front of the Fushin to earn two more quick slashes to the arms. As the fight intensified, the Fushin Ninja was only able to earn a few small grazes to Jirou's torso, but little else due to Jirou's defense.

"What is this...? You should not be able to sense me at all! How is it...you have the perfect blend of offense and defense...combined with unparalleled reflexes?!" The Fushin Ninja did not slow in his offensive, but even he had to ponder just how Jirou could be so well attuned to handling such an opponent who exuded no aura to be felt out. The flash of insight and intuition from keeping the mind in balance to Nothingness allowed Jirou to react to any opponent no matter the situation. Just as fighting Karasuba or sparring with Miya, by using this ability honed from sparring with the Shadow Master, Jirou could contend with those even of superior speed and strength from the Shinobi's own. The experience garnered from handling the Fushin in the past was also another thing Jirou took full advantage of.

"I'm not sure of how you made your body into what it is now, but it is obvious that you have fallen pray to merely relying on technology alone. Had there been a blend of the old and the new...you might have stood more of a fighting chance, however..." Jirou flicked the black blood from his blade.

"...there is little you can do against me, but I do admit that you hold together better than the soldiers I faced getting here." Jirou took his battle stance again. The Fushin Ninja shrugged, chuckling slightly with the mechanical whir of his voice.

"You outclass me that much...that the route we the Fushin pursued was the incorrect path? It's true that the Fushin were always kept under heel by the Oboro...but this should have been different! Heh...guess there is only my last resort then!" The Fushin Ninja declared. Spreading his arms, Jirou felt ki flare up within the Fushin Ninja for the first time.

"This is...?" Jirou muttered. He had misjudged the Fushin Ninja slightly, by thinking the opponent had no Ninjutsu to fall back on given that they were technically no longer mortal Humans. Jirou had believed they could not use ki related abilities then, being devoid of them. Seems he was wrong. Four transparent clones of the Fushin Ninja appeared by his side, jumping high into the air before landing upon the original one and seeming to merge. Bushin was the Fushin Clan's answer to the Oboro's own Fushin spell. While it did not increase maneuverability nearly as much as the Fushin spell, the offensive applications were vastly more powerful. As the clones were composed of energy from ki, one Fushin Ninja could effectively attack a single opponent multiple times at nearly the same time since the clone creations mimicked the user's skills perfectly in tandem for they were controlled by a singular mind.

"I saw it too late...even were you a ninja from the past, you've great knowledge of the Fushin Clan's tactics. Despite the change in technology to offset some of the originals, the techniques and applications have not been changed much from the times of our ancestors. There was never a need...until now. Hmmm...?" The Fushin Ninja had taken pause, as if to regard something further. His eyes flashed brightly for a moment before returning to the dull hue of red that had once been.

"The Oboro...heh! An interesting turn in events, that you may yet know! Show me if you truly have the utmost skill to handle this! Prove it to me!" The cryptic words were cast aside as the Fushin charged, faster than he had been previously while the shadow clones trailed behind him like a shroud of illusions.

"What do you mean about the Oboro?!" Jirou did not receive an answer and was pushed back bodily as he defended the force of four blades that nearly sent him tumbling off his feet, but he maintained his footing just barely. The Fushin Ninja shot more shuriken at him, his clones doing the exact same. Jirou twisted to the side to evade the projectiles, swinging his ninjatou with a quick swipe to intercept the rushing Fushin Ninja once more. The Fushin Ninja flipped over the attack to slice out with his wide blade, but Jirou anticipated this, ducking low to evade the strikes from his opponent and the clones trailing the attack. Jirou slid out of harm's way as the Fushin Ninja's feet touched the ground and slammed his wide blade down where Jirou had been, four transparent blades following to slam into the deck with enough force to crack the deck.

As Jirou was much slower than his opponent at the moment, he would have to gauge things early and set up removing the shadow clones. One of the downsides to such a powerful Ninjutsu technique such as Bushin was that it would put the user in great peril at the cost of granting such gifts to power and speed. Jirou would have to use this to his advantage and hope that the difference in body did not make the Fushin Ninja immune to the weaknesses of his ancestors. Deciding to start things off on his own, Jirou tossed a single kunai as a distraction to close in to his enemy, though knew he would be expected to.

The Fushin Ninja swatted the projectile out of the way easily and faced Jirou as he clashed his blade against the Fushin Ninja's. The Fushin Ninja tried to grab hold of Jirou, but had not seen as Jirou had another kunai on his person. Taking it in his right hand, once the Fushin Ninja grabbed him by the collar just shy of his neck, Jirou sent the kunai jamming into the tricep of the extended arm. The Fushin Ninja did not flinch in pain, but had been distracted for a moment, and Jirou lunged forward to implant an armored knee dead into the chest of the Fushin Ninja to have enough momentum to back flip away and making a surgical cut into the cloth of his uniform with his ninjatou to make an easy escape. A shadow clone spirited out of the Fushin Ninja and fell to the ground before being dispelled in a brief cloud of smoke. The Fushin Ninja tossed the shred of cloth from Jirou's uniform he now held, before taking a defensive stance, not falling for Jirou's trick any further.

The Shinobi backed off again rather than attempt to attack, as the Fushin Ninja had not tried to take out the kunai still stuck in his tricep. Having lost a clone meant that the offensive strikes was down to three though. Jirou's clothes were worse for ware, for while no great solid blow connected with his flesh, the Fushin Ninja still cut through much of the cloth. Jirou had scratches at best though, a far cry from the damage inflicted upon the Fushin Ninja. But the Fushin Ninja was physically not phased or slowed by his injuries due to the cyborg like body. The Fushin Ninja aimed his blade towards Jirou and rocketed towards him, the metal of his back opening to reveal thrusters that flared as the metal plates shifted to propel the Fushin Ninja forward. The burst of speed would not allow Jirou to defend head on no matter what, and he shifted to the side as the Fushin Ninja closed in.

This was anticipated by the Fushin Ninja, but Jirou had done something unexpected. Jirou slammed the hilt of his ninjatou with the Fushin Ninja's blade as he leaped, stepping on the wide flat of the blade of his opponent. He shot his grappling hook to disrupt the flames shooting out from the rear of the Fushin Ninja. It caused the the Fushin Ninja to lose control of maintaining his path, slamming into a tower as Jirou tucked and rolled after his jump to get away from impacting the tower himself. These actions had to be done in perfect timing or Jirou risked getting cut down by the clones trailing the Fushin Ninja's movements. Jirou came to a halt after rolling for a bit, looking at the hole that pierced into the tower. He had to avert his gaze as an explosion rocked the tower base, making it lean to the side a bit.

"That should have destroyed him and his clones..." Jirou rose to his feet, remaining ready for anything as he took his battle stance and back pedaled his feet. He saw a black form of a humanoid shape appear from the flames. It walked out towards him in a broken fashion. Three others followed behind it, but they soon dissipated among the flames as if they had never been there in the first place.

"So...you've...done...it..." The voice was distorted as sparks flew free from the metal skeleton that was the Fushin Ninja. The only thing he still held onto was the wide blade. He moved with a limp, flames eating at his open circuitry by small explosions flaring around him, since the black blood was oil and easily flammable.

"What manner of creature are you? Who is the master behind Zeed and the Fushin? With your last breath, tell me. Answer!" Jirou urged. The Fushin Ninja remained still within the fire.

"We may...yet meet...again...if there is...an afterlife..." The silver metal frame emitted with a hue of crimson as something at the center of its chest cavity shined brightly like a miniature sun. Jirou turned and ran, not liking how it would flash brighter and brighter. He had good reason to, ducking into the stairway and being nearly blown right off his feet by the explosion that followed, a self destruct mechanism the Fushin Ninja employed. Jirou was breathing raggedly, almost not escaping from being crushed by flying debris that followed after him from the explosion. The sleeve of his left arm was pinned by a piece of pipe piercing into the wall, and had Jirou not been an inch further, his entire arm might have been pinned through as well. He ripped the sleeve to free himself so he could sheath his ninjatou. Jirou did not see it, but the deck of the Wing of Darkness sustained a decent chunk of damage in the immediate area, it was nothing as a whole for the massive contraption. The blast would have to be far more enormous to achieve bringing the Wing of Darkness down.

'I'll have to find another way out, or...' Jirou proceeded deeper into the Wing of Darkness, clinging to what shadow he could, but the halls were narrow, with some having windows that filtered in light from outside. Besides that, there were lamps in the ceiling. Stealth would be difficult to achieve while in these conditions, but the Shinobi knew that there was little alternative but to press forward while maintaining his cautious haste. He wished he could have gleaned more from the fight with the Fushin Ninja, but as the strange creation that it was said that Jirou would not find out and surely Jirou didn't. Truly quite aggravating, but the Shinobi could only proceed onward with his mission.

The City of Shintou Teitou (Minato's Situation)

A few cars and one limo pulled up to the scene, the limo being pure white in color. Minato and the others watched them, but could not identify the occupants due to the tinted windows. Kakizaki smirked.

"So the tables are turning again..." The man snickered even as he painfully rose back to his feet, having been enduring a few more wind blasts from Kazehana just to mess with him. Tsukiumi's interference allowed for both Hikari and Hibiki to get back to a close enough proximity to use their powers to their original extent. Meanwhile, Musubi and Kuruse were proving stronger than Ichiya and Toyotama though by a close margin.

"Who is that...? Wait, Higa of the East came here himself...?" Kazehana questioned. That could spell some extra trouble. Higa was considered the strongest of the strong in terms of the other powerful Ashikabi like Mikogami or Sanada, since he boosted more Sekirei at his disposal, and even had other Ashikabi and their Sekirei as a part of his entourage such as Kakizaki.

"But of course he did. This would be a perfect opportunity to add on to his ever growing collection. Would you really expect otherwise?" Kakizaki went towards the limo.

"Holy crap...I knew he had more Sekirei...but just how many?! That limo is huge!" Minato gaped.

"Easy, you've got a couple of Single Digit Numbers on your side. So far no Ashikabi has yet to wing one, so you can see that we are not easily defeated by other Sekirei even if they are winged." Kazehana patted him on the back for reassurance.

"Single Digit Numbers are that powerful huh? No wait, both Hikari-chan and Hibiki-chan said it themselves...but still...this is pretty nerve racking enough already." Minato groaned, not sure what to expect in terms of opposition. Hikari and Hibiki had retreated from Tsukiumi while she was distracted by the cars. Their expressions were not pleasant though by the way Kazehana was being so familiar with their Ashikabi.

"Hey Minato, she's not even your Sekirei, why are you hanging all over her like that?! You better not say that its because of her insanely huge tits..." Hikari's sneer was venomous. Minato was cowed by the expression.

"No, no, it's not like that at all! She and the others saved us though...and it's not like I could do much on my own to help while being held down...besides, I don't want you two offending her like you did with Tsukiumi-san. I've only winged you two today, and I don't want to lose either one of you! Hikari-chan, Hibiki-chan, please...!" Minato may have not been the bravest when it came to strong women, but he did not want any harm to befall his Sekirei or himself if it could be helped. Jirou had told him that their lives were connected, and Minato had to be the needle that guided them for they were the thread. While cheerful Kazehana wasn't phased by Hikari or Hibiki in the slightest, her fad with blossoming romances had caused her to egg the two on further by clutching a shaking Minato to her bosom. Nothing better to break the serious tension with a little light chatter and teasing.

"Oh how cute and manly at the same time! You're the whole package!" She gushed at the flustered Ashikabi.

"You big breasted cow...!" Hikari growled, a spark of electricity running up her arm. The wind Sekirei interrupted her though.

"Now, now...let's be friends here. You've got a pretty impressive set yourself, by the way. But..." Kazehana smiled sweetly while Minato remained tongue tied for a bit. She then pushed him to Hikari and Hibiki.

"...it's time to get serious." She said calmly, gesturing past them. Kakizaki had gone to open the rear left door of the limo. Higa stepped out, dressed smartly in his white suit. His stone gaze befell Minato and the others as if to inspect what was going on. Once he stepped aside, Sekirei filed out from the limo. The other cars opened, revealing more Ashikabi and their Sekirei.

Minato began to count them with his eyes roving from one to the next. The Sekirei that caught his attention first due to the massive blades equipped in each hand that looked vaguely like two halves of scissors, was dressed in a shrine maiden uniform similar to Shi, but this Sekirei's hair was cut short and messily. The one next to her was another short haired one and scantily clad in a bikini top along with tight fitting clothes that hugged her lithe frame. The leather belt adorning her waist had tonfa like weapons peeking out from the back of it. The one next to her appeared to be unarmed, her dark hair tied into a high ponytail by a white corded ribbon that matched the gloves on her hands. The dark kimono she wore possessed no sleeves or back part to it. These Sekirei were to Higa's right.

Minato then looked to the Sekirei to Higa's left. One was a younger looking girl with skin tight blouse that was sleeveless and had a black ribbon tied at the neck just below the collar, while a wide belt adorned her waist and followed with a short black skirt with white frills peaking out underneath. The arm warmers she had were white and also had ribbons tied just below her shoulders, the stockings on her leg having a similar theme. Her long hair was also done up in the front with ribbons to keep the hair out of her eyes. The final one had a gothic lolita appearance, baring a white frilly dress under a black one that framed her small body like a corset with long ends that seemed similar to the tail of a bird. Red bows adorned the collar of her white dress and the top of her head of purple hair that was cut short. Her delicately gloved hands had a bladed disc not unlike a buzz saw in appearance and looked quite painful to be hit by.

The other Sekirei that had been mounting the original offensive also went towards Higa. Shi and Sai went to Higa's right, while Kaie and Himeko went to his left. Toyotama and Ichiya were by Kakizaki's side, bowing along with him at Higa's direction.

"Kakizaki...good work I suppose, keeping #03 Kazehana and #09 Tsukiumi stalled long enough for my arrival. You may stand." Higa spoke in a curt tone of a professional. Kakizaki rose to his feet in reverence as did Toyotama and Ichiya. Higa regarded both Kazehana and Tsukiumi.

"Two Single Digit Numbers...it would be a waste to let them slip away...that's why I brought such a large force. Mikogami of the South seems to be have had trouble taking care of #05 Mutsu and #06 Homura, and he was using all five of his Sekirei...I'll have to try not making the same mistakes he did." Higa regarded to himself.

"Homura? Should that lout befall defeat to such a simpleton...I shalt not forgive him! Hmph...! Weak, pathetic Homura...!" Hearing Homura's name made Tsukiumi more on edge. Higa had the barest of a smirk trace his lips.

"Ah yes, #06 is the only other wingless Sekirei to defeat you in a duel. Your quite taken with defeating him, I wager? Such a prideful Sekirei...but there is no denying your power, #09 Tsukiumi. Joining me would allow you to handle him as easily as batting an eyelash." He spoke calmly, causing a scowl upon Tsukiumi's face.

"Filthy monkey! That's all Ashikabi are! Damn wretches...thou hast no value of worth! I will arise as the strongest wingless Sekirei ever, and one such as thee won't change that!" Tsukiumi formed a blade of water with her right hand, looking ready to let loose an attack at any moment.

"This could be bad...Tsukiumi is being too easily provoked by Higa's smugness..." Kuruse muttered. The Sekirei besides Higa formed a defensive wall around him.

"Aren't you forgetting that Sekirei are forbidden from attacking an Ashikabi?" The Sekirei dressed in the gothic lolita getup spoke, taking the forefront of the defensive formation.

"Doth thou believe I even care of that? I forsake that one rule of the Sekirei Plan!" Tsukiumi said in a clear tone, showing that she was serious in her words.

"You've got a lot of gall...you would be singing a different tune if you were winged by your destined Ashikabi. Don't act so mighty and righteous, like your above all that." The Sekirei taunted. Tsukiumi's eyes narrowed.

"Even were I to react to my destined Ashikabi...with these hands, he shalt perish as the knave he is!" The blade of water extended outward, gaining longer reach, though Tsukiumi did not swing it yet.

"Seriously...? Even if it wasn't a forceful winging and your actual destined Ashikabi? You would still try and kill him?" Asked the Sekirei with the many ribbons upon her person and wore the tight fitting blouse and mini shirt with frills peaking out from underneath. She sounded mortified by what she was hearing. Tsukiumi didn't even bat and eye or show any signs that she was bluffing about what she said she would do if her destined Ashikabi ever showed up.

"Verily...he wouldst incur mortal injury if he ever tried to wing me!" Tsukiumi growled. One of the Ashikabi following Higa stepped forward. He was a young man with short hair of light brown, with a simple cheap coat of black over a white tee and blue jeans.

"What a cheeky bitch...even her formal speech and dialect is old fashioned. Midorino, shut her up!" He ordered his Sekirei, who dressed in something similar to a schoolgirl uniform, and had a halberd in one hand to identify her as weapon using offensive type Sekirei. She started walking towards Tsukiumi, the water Sekirei eying her for sudden movements. Higa called out to Midorino first.

"Hold it. Alone, one of our Sekirei stand no chance against a Single Digit Number, even if they happen to be wingless. None of the Single Digit Numbers have been winged yet, and there's a reason for it. Their power, even when wingless, can surpass another Double or Triple Digit Number Sekirei who is strengthen by the Norito. Mikogami had his Sekirei access the Norito for nearly all his Sekirei through a kiss, but #05 and #06 still proved too much for them...however..." The suit wearing Ashikabi adjusted his tie.

"There is one mistake that Mikogami made. One that he overlooked far too easily for such a normally smart kid. He wasn't willing to use the Norito's finishing strike. True, it may have killed them, but then no one could take them either and use them against him in the future. I won't make the same lapse in judgment." Higa spoke in such a casual and offhanded manner, as if he were talking over a cup of coffee. As if by some cue, even more cars came out driving along the battered streets from the earlier chaos with the mysterious Zeed enemy. Minato's group was now surrounded, likely with more Ashikabi and Sekirei in tow. Minato gritted his teeth.

"You...Higa..." His fists clenched tightly together. His anger at what he was hearing was overtaking his usual docile tendencies. He refused to believe someone would fall to murder if they couldn't get what they wanted. His emotions seem to spill into his own Sekirei, and though no visible sign occurred, his Sekirei felt inspired by the feelings none the less. Musubi went to Tsukiumi's side, taking a battle stance. Hikari and Hibiki started to generate electricity around them, though they stayed protectively in front of Minato.

"What art thou doing?" Tsukiumi questioned. Musubi smiled at the older Sekirei.

"Musubi will help Tsukiumi-san of course!" She said cheerily.

"Thy aid was not requested!" Tsukiumi admonished. Kuruse was on the other side of Tsukiumi, with her trident bared and at the ready.

"Come on, Tsukiumi-san, we've got to take care of this quickly." She said. Tsukiumi stifled a sigh.

"Oh, very well." She muttered and aimed her water blade towards Higa's Sekirei, turning to catch one glance at Kazehana, who's back was to her as she faced the remaining opposition along with Hikari and Hibiki to complete the circular formation they all created around Minato as the sole Ashikabi on their side.

"Musubi-chan, Hikari-chan, Hibiki-chan...sorry, but please fight your hardest awhile longer...let's help our new friends from any forceful winging!" Minato ordered, keeping Jirou's and Miya's words to heart. Higa was chuckling at the absurdness of the young man.

"So that's how you want to play it? You should really consider things more carefully, Sahashi-san. Don't be just like that Ashikabi who tried to save those other wingless Sekirei from Mikogami's grasp before the Single Digit Numbers came to his aid luckily so he could flee with his Sekirei and those wingless ones! Haruka something or other...but regardless, he stood no chance, just like you won't!" Higa said with a snap of his fingers, the Ashikabi on his side kissing their Sekirei to activate the Norito of each of them. Wings of light protruded from their backs until pillars of light shot upward into the sky before forming the bright aura to distinguish having been powered up. Tsukiumi looked questioningly as Ashikabi kissed their Sekirei to activate the Norito.

'Odd...' She had assumed it would have been a more vile action to activate the Norito for a winged Sekirei. Tsukiumi had been running under the preconceptions that Sekirei must be violated sexually to be winged and to activate the Norito, since she had yet to actually see it occur due to being so adamant about getting winged herself. She was too proud to investigate it more in depth and a fight was about to break out anyway. Meanwhile Minato was still conversing with Higa.

"Haruka? Haruka, Shigi? He was trying to help out wingless Sekirei from Mikogami?" Minato's mouth was agape for a moment, realizing the new friends he met today had already had a great struggle. But Mutsu, and Homura had been there to help him in his time of need. Minato was able to piece together that Homura and Kagari may very well be the same person using different aliases. Kagari was simply too perfect looking to not likely be a Sekirei in Minato's eyes now that it occurred to him.

"Oh? Sounds like you know him. At least a little bit. Having doubts yet? You should be." Higa smirked. Minato sighed, before chuckling faintly, determined eyes glaring back at Higa.

"Haruka-san has a defensive type Sekirei, who had little chance against an offensive based one. That he decided to step in and help wingless Sekirei...even if he had to flee, I'm sure he still showed great bravery in holding out before Mu...the two Single Digit Numbers showed up. I'll bet he didn't even expect it until it happened." Minato refrained from referring to Mutsu and Kagari in a familiar tone. He had come to know they were Sekirei but didn't realize they had such powers due to being Single Digit Numbers. He hadn't been able to ask Kagari, and Mutsu never told him his number.

"He showed more bravery than I have...now it's my turn. I've got two Single Digit Numbers here already, unlike how he started out his fight with Mikogami. I...can't let you have your way, Higa!" It was like reflex that he grabbed hold of Hikari and Hibiki, much to their own surprise, kissing them to activate their own Norito. Surprising, yes, but very much welcomed since Minato had went to them first instead of Musubi. The elation didn't allow them to process that it was probably done more for the fact that they were in closer proximity, all they knew was that their Ashikabi powered them up and it felt amazing! The light attracted everyone's gazes, for the brightness was greater than that of the other Sekirei. Minato's own feelings powering up his Sekirei greater than Higa's own.

"Musubi-chan! Come here, I'll activate your Norito as well!" Minato called to his first winged Sekirei, and she was all too eager to comply. Hikari and Hibiki didn't raise a fuss in protest, the feelings of elation of love spilling into the bond from Minato so strong that it spited the feelings of jealousy the twins had for his first Sekirei.

"Well now...you're just asking for a grave buried for you. Me and my people have been reasonable with you as much as possible this entire day, yet you continue to try and spit in our faces for trying to reason with you. Therefore..." Higa's voice still had it's pleasant pitch and tone, but there was definite frustration in his eyes as he snapped his fingers. Those Sekirei in his entourage took up prayer stances and started chanting phrases of their incantations.

"Well this is starting to get out of hand some, eh, Tsu-chan, Kuruse-chan?" Kazehana spoke in a light tone, chuckling.

"Quite...Kazehana-san." Tsukiumi really wished Kazehana would sound more serious about the situation, and stop using that nickname.

"Geez...if not for all the Norito activating, I'd feel we had more of a chance here!" Kuruse mentioned as she gripped her trident tighter in her hands.

"We'll be alright. I can see it easily enough that we have the advantage." Kazehana said easily. Kuruse just looked at the older Sekirei.

"How can you tell so easily...?!" Kuruse's voice was cut off as by the roar of the lightning bolt Hikari and Hibiki produced that slammed against the enemy raid's own attacks and shredding them apart. The lightning bolt kept going until it hit the wall of Sekirei who's screams were drowned out by crackling sound of electricity. Any stray blasts of energy from the enemy's attack was shot down by a powerful wind blast from Kazehana's hands. Tsukiumi and Musubi took a more direct approach to repelling the Norito attacks aimed at them. Rushing forward, Tsukiumi swung her water blade against the wave of energy, though nearly being sent off her feet by the force but held her ground, allowing Musubi to leap up and shoot her fist out as it was wrapped in a brilliant aura of light. Almost like breaking glass, beams of light shot out in jagged intervals to strike down some of Higa's Sekirei and forcing the Ashikabi to back away.

Great clouds of dust and debris whipped up in the air, nearly blinding everyone's view. When it cleared and Higa opened his eyes, even he could not refrain from letting out the barest gasps of surprise. While nearly all his Sekirei survived, several others from the Ashikabi under his control where strewn about on the ground, many likely dead for he saw the Sekirei Crests gone from the back of their necks. Kakizaki stood next to him.

"Are you alright, Higa-sama?" He asked his master. The man nodded.

"Yeah..I'm not hurt. Get a status report of the still living Sekirei not standing. Go." He ordered. Kakizaki did so. As the dust settled and cleared, Higa could only glare. Minato, his Sekirei, and the Sekirei helping him, were gone.

"Higa-sama, there are no bodies..." That had been the gothic lolita dressed Sekirei, her clothing torn up a bit but otherwise fine.

"Oriha, go look around from the roof tops...they must have lived...there is no way they could have been completely vaporized. Himeko, Shi, go up there and scout as well. Now." He continued to keep his face level, but he was definitely disturbed by how many of the Sekirei under him had fallen. He knew that there should have been some trace of his opponent but there was none.

"If all of them got away without a single loss...I will be very disappointed...!" He snarled, fist clenched. He had far superior numbers compared to any other Ashikabi out there, so much so that he could bribe other Ashikabi and their Sekirei to be under his command. If Minato and all the Sekirei with him, both his own and the other wingless ones who only numbered at a total of six Sekirei, had survived would mean trouble. Higa pondered if there may have been a case of quality over quantity.

'He had two Single Digit Numbers helping him...#11 and #12 are fairly strong as well due to battle experience...the weakest ones should have been #54 and #88, but it wasn't the case...even Ichiya and Toyotama were having trouble against a Sekirei weaker than them, and they tag teamed...why are my Sekirei so outclassed by his measly lot?' Higa stewed in frustration as he pulled out his phone to call for another limo. Nearly all the cars nearby had been blown away, the buildings having some severe cracks along the side from the buildup of power in the area. It was not safe in the area. Meanwhile, Minato was being carried with each hand in one of Hikari and Hibiki's as they jumped away Musubi was jumping beside them not too far away.

It had been Kazehana's idea as she whipped up a miniature tornado that flung them out of the remainder of the blast while the dust cover had been keeping them hidden. Kuruse and Tsukiumi were jumping beside her from building to building, though Tsukiumi required quite a bit of prodding from her fellow Single Digit Number, as the water Sekirei felt she had more or less ran from the fight with her tail between her legs while to Kazehana it was more of a prank to spite Higa.

"It's probably best not to keep looking back, Tsukiumi-san. Like Kazehana-san said, Higa's Sekirei will probably be gone by the time you get back considering how far we were sent." Kuruse said as she caught sight of Tsukiumi look back towards the remains of the dispersing dust cloud far off in the distance.

"Tis true enough...yet mine heart feels no relief for this...cowardice." Tsukiumi muttered. Kuruse's phone started to ring, and Kuruse attempted to get it from the breast pocket of her jacket only to realize it wasn't there. Kazehana pulled the phone out from between her cleavage.

"Oh right, I totally forgot to give this back didn't I? But it looks like it's from my friend, you mind if I take the call, Kuru-chan?" Kazehana said, Kuruse nodding her head in agreement.

"Hello, is this Miya calling again?" Kazehana said as she answered the phone.

"You think she's talking to...the Landlady?" Hibiki asked Minato.

"Most likely...though Miya isn't the most uncommon of names." He responded. They listened for possible ques from Kazehana as she spoke on the phone.

"Oh, Matsu, how's it going? Were you the one that hacked the phone earlier? It certainly surprised me for a moment there!" She shared a chuckle.

"Wait, what? Oh you got another information Sekirei there with you? Amazing considering the rarity. Huh? Miya ain't there, then where...? No way...those two met up? Well that's just a bloodbath waiting to happen!" Kazehana despite the cheery tone and expression, had a serious look in her eyes.

"Just meet up at Maison Izumo, ah heck, why not? Haven't been there in like forever...oh ho, Mutsu's hanging out there, eh? Still being a grouch I'll bet...oh you all are checking out to see if they fight? Well, I wouldn't doubt it...but yeah, if nothing else besides taking out that big ship...guess we'll just get back as fast as possible. Later." Kazehana was about to hang up the phone but Minato called out to her.

"Wait, Kazehana-san. Can you ask Matsu-san if my sister is okay? My phone broke so I can't call her..." He said hurriedly.

"Hey Matsu, hold on...still there? Good, listen, Minato-san here wants to know if his sister's good...she an Ashikabi too? Oh yeah? Nice...I'll pass the good news to him. Thanks. Bye." Kazehana hung up the phone and handed it to Kuruse mid jump.

"You're in luck. Apparently she and another Ashikabi I know teamed up and went west. They met the strongest Ashikabi there, but didn't have their Sekirei fight..you might want to hear the rest from your sis herself. She is safe and unhurt though, and making way for the inn as well." Kazehana relayed to Minato, who breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness...I hope Musashi-san can get that thing out of the air...I wonder if there's anything more we can do...?' He pondered aloud.

"Musubi will help Minato-sama help Musashi-san!" Musubi cheered with a fist pump in the air.

"Calm down there...even with a Norito, our range probably won't be effective enough from the ground...not to mention jumping up there to try and get an attack off at better range...would be nearly suicidal." Hibiki explained. Hikari shrugged.

"Wonder how he expects to reach it anyway... I mean sure he's the...uh, you know...but still. Doesn't seem likely, right?" Hikari spoke, refraining from babbling out that Jirou was the white ninja. Both Tsukiumi and Kazehana were both pretty sure of what she was going to say. Kazehana was about to speak, but Tsukiumi beat her to the line.

"Thou speaks of someone boarding a thing...thou mean the White Ninja?" The water Sekirei questioned.

"Huh? You know about...Musashi-san?" It had been Minato who said it.

"Musashi, Jirou, huh...if you know him as the White Ninja, does that mean he lives at Maison Izumo too?" Kazehana asked.

"Well yeah, from what he told us...but how do you know him?" Hibiki spoke up soon after.

"He's already found a means to reach that ship thing, but if he actually got to it or not, I couldn't say...but hopefully he did." The wind Sekirei responded as she caught sight of them fast approaching the Northern City. It would be nice to relax after all the fighting for the day, that's for sure.

"How?" Minato questioned as they touched ground on a roof only to spring back up into the sky to get to the next one.

"He jumped on top one of the fighter jets attacking the ship." Kazehana replied.

"That's...insane!" Everyone else gasped.

Wing of Darkness, Inside of Hull, Third Floor

Hotsuma and Hibana had been rather bold in their approach to reach the airship. They took the route directly below where cannon fire blasted the buildings. With great reflexes they would react with each blast from a cannon and jump to and from one of the steel cast spheres as they descended into the city below to continue reigning destruction. With acrobatics and the Stealth Dash, they were able to get close enough to connect to the surface of the hull with the Spider Walk and ran along the side towards the middle part of the hull where weaponry fire was minimal. Deeming a safe enough area, Hotsuma had drawn Akujiki out and used the very frightfully sharp blade to cut and sheer completely through the thick hide around where a window was located.

It would take much more damage to bring the ship down, and Hotsuma wanted it much closer over the Sea of Japan so that it wouldn't take more of the City by the near guaranteed giant explosion that would ensue when the airship fell. Akujiki allowed the Shadow Master to get completely through the layers of metal plating that made up the hull to get towards one of the floors inside the ship. Both kept their senses high for living beings ahead of their path. Trying to reconfirm with the x-ray vision optic of the the visors didn't yield anything to further clarify, the metal not allowing for it. Hotsuma did his work with controlled haste, since it was unlikely that the ship's sensors would not pick up on such a large chunk of damage being done to the hull eventually, so he didn't want them being swarmed when they got completely through. That, and Akujiki would start stealing Hotsuma's soul slowly if he kept it out of the seal protected sheath. They struck a lucky point, entering a hole that was made in an air vent.

Sneaking through the vents had been the easiest part, finding a clear area to finally touch ground of the hall and look faster for the Ship's control room was going to prove more difficult. No map could be generated of the immediate surroundings, so they had to go in blind except for aura sensing to locate enemy soldiers. Finally finding a darkened area where no lights were, Hotsuma popped the barred doors on the vent and landed into the hall soundlessly followed by Hibana who was just as silent. In lieu of communicating through radio in case the signal was picked up on inside the ship, they were turned off and sign language commands used instead.

To resharpen Akujiki, Hotsuma would stalk any soldiers patrolling alone or in small groups and cut them down to sate the powerful sword. Hibana would help to take on any groups larger than eight. Not that Hotsuma couldn't take on that many by himself, but it better insured that the enemy could not radio backup in time while being hounded by the Kunoichi. A feint whir from one of the generator rooms sounded, and as both ninja scouted the area out briefly was when they saw the signs of dead soldiers strewn about. Hibana went an inspected one of the corpses that was propped against the side of a pipe.

-They were killed with a blade. A ninjatou most likely. Blood is still fresh, so he was killed maybe no more than ten minutes ago.- Hibana communicated with sign language. It was not hard to deduce from the body having been nearly cut in half at the hip.

-Its safe to assume that the white ninja here in Shintou Teitou is aboard the ship. Close off your ki so that he can't sense an aura.- Hotsuma and Hibana proceeded to the next room. In fact, Jirou was on to them, though for only a moment. He had sensed two feint presences though they both disappeared completely. The auras had been fairly close by. Deciding that if those two were enemies trying to sneak up on him in some fashion not unlike the Fushin, Jirou would hang back to see if he could get the drop on them instead. Jirou left two dead bodies of guards that had attempted to bare access to another room. Leaving them where they lay, Jirou had used his Spider Walk to remain upside down on the ceiling as he tucked his scarf close to his body and sheathed his weapon. The room was very dim, the only source of light being wall flushed bulbs of which beamed from one side of the room to the other. two remained intact, the one nearest the entrance had been smashed by a kunai Jirou used to distract the guards for a split moment to cut them down, while the other had been shot by one of the dying guard's limb spasms that caused him to fire off a few rounds blindly.

Jirou barely made out two forms in the low cast lighted area. They made no sound, telling Jirou that they were sneaking, and doing a good job of it, like Jirou himself. He waited to see as they passed the lights, for they would have little choice unless they traveled by ceiling like Jirou himself could. The corpses had been lain near the center of the floor, only to entice them to step into the light. The taller of the two figures halted the shorter one just shy of the light's radius. Jirou's muscles coiled, hand silently grasping over the hilt of his ninjatou. He caught the bare outline of swords strapped to their backs not unlike his own.

'Trained Ninja as well...they move like me...they take the same precautions...is this what the Fushin...hinted at?! Is it...really possible...?' Jirou's eyes hardened, formulating a plan with due caution in mind should these two be his enemies. The taller of the two figures wrote his own side. Hotsuma had a sinking feeling in his heart that told him to be cautious. Unlike those of the ancient Oboro, the present day had gained one significant disadvantage and that was relying nearly too much on aura sensing over training to heed the insight of Nothingness when an aura was kept hidden. In this future, less and less warriors of the old ways remained completely in tact that such a thing was not considered necessary. Still, Kobushi had trained Hotsuma and many other students of the Oboro to heed insights of the heart. Kobushi called them -Instincts for Life Preservation-. It was perhaps a trace skill of the full potential the Oboro of old used to heed.

Hotsuma activated thermal vision within his visor. The room was largely outlined in a purplish hue, even the bodies were starting to cool in death so they were not nearly as brightly shown when he gazed at them. Hotsuma's eyes looked around, catching sight of Hibana as she shown with bright colors of mostly yellow, orange and red. Another figure caught his attention. Jirou's own body heat could not be masked so easily without an outer source of which the Shinobi of the Past could not have accounted for in such a short amount of time. Hotsuma was staring right at Jirou as he clung to the ceiling. The Shadow Master knew it was a risk, but had to take it to be absolutely sure. Jirou's form tensed even further as he saw the glowing golden eyes of Hotsuma's visor from darkness. There was little choice but to react and attack.

The City of Shintou Teitou

Both Benitsubasa and Haihane were panting. They had been trying to keep up with Karasuba as much as possible, but it was far from easy a feat to accomplish. They could kill the Zeed soldiers easily, but not quite as effectively quick as Karasuba could. For every one they felled alone, Karausba was felling five more per the two other Sekirei of the Disciplinary Squad. Blood smeared and caked their uniforms, and Benitsubasa was getting annoyed with how many enemies continued to press the attack despite the obvious differences in power. Haihane was getting tired as well, and every now and again would antagonize herself about how she sould have recorded some show on TV that had slipped her mind.

Benitsubasa scowled. She was well used to hearing Haihane's complaints about often forgetting to record her favorite shows. Haihane also tended to be absent minded about when she took off or put on her clawed gauntlets, since she would often injure herself by clutching the side of her head. It annoyed Benitsubasa even being so used to it, but always gave Karasuba a laugh in rare times like today where the three were together.

"Well that's a shame...seems the soldiers here on the ground are pretty much taken care of." Karasuba said in a soft tone, wiping her nodachi free of blood with strips of cloth tucked within her haori. There had been so much blood collecting on the blade that hardly any of the cloth's white color remained. Karasuba tossed the near completely dyed cloth aside.

"So now what? We just return to the tower and let clean up crews handle the rest?" Benitsubasa questioned as she looked about the street but remained overall disinterested in the scenery. She just wanted to soak in the tub and get all the blood off herself and hopefully have enough time to hang out more with Natsuo if she could. The sky was cast in hazy red and orange tones. The sun was starting to set. The battle had been going on for nearly most of the afternoon, now seeming to cool on the streets just like how night was starting to approach. The Wing of Darkness was at this point on the near defensive but still holding strong.

"Beni-chan, Hane-chan...go ahead back to the tower if you want. I'm sure Minaka will handle the remaining trivial things. I'll be back before long." Karasuba spoke, in more a tone of an order, and walked off.

"Alright, if you say so." Benitsubasa said and leaped off the site, Haihane joining her soon after. Karasuba was glad they left without much fuss. She didn't need those two to keep trailing her like that. She knelt down and inspected a body of a fallen Zeed soldier. His helmet was cracked open and his neck twisted in an impossible angle, but his expression had stayed calm and withdrawn. The cut to his torso had been from a sharp weapon, likely a katana, and a finely honed one at that. Karasuba smirked, licking her lips. She followed the slaughter that occurred.

'Could it really be...her? Guess there's only one way to know for sure.' To the untrained eye, it may have seemed like a kill Karasuba herself could have done, but Karasuba could tell the difference just by examining the wounds inflicted. Following the trail of carnage lead her in a path drawing closer to the Wing of Darkness. Karasuba ended up more east of her current location, the trail spread far enough that she decided to leap up the buildings and get to the general location quicker. She caught sight of the barest hints of purple and white among the tall buildings as she jumped from one to the other. The Wing of Darkness was quite far looming in the distance. But if the person was who Karasuba believed it was, there would be no problem blasting the thing down so that it dived right into the Sea of Japan. Karasuba landed on the same building, Miya sitting in seiza faced away from the Black Sekirei and towards the Wing of Darkness.

Miya had chosen this building since it was tall enough and close enough to give her optimal power and range to send the airship crashing down, while leaving any structural damage to surrounding buildings at a minimum due to the backlash pressure as the sonic wave traveled became more devastating and pronounced the further it traveled before dissipating. So as Karasuba had believed, so it was.

"Well now...I haven't seen you out and about in ages it seems...Miya." Karasuba said her name in mock respect, resting her nodachi across her shoulder. She noticed the sheathed katana by Miya's side.

"If you ask me...it still hasn't been long enough...Karasuba." Miya responded but did not make a move to face Karasuba yet, remaining in seiza facing away from her.

"Oh? Why the cold shoulder, Miya? I came out all this way and it turns out to be a meeting between old friends. I thought you would be happy to see how I was doing." Karasuba's tone was sarcastic. Miya chuckled softly in disdain.

"Oh my...let's just say if you want to live a long, healthy life, you will leave here. Promptly." Miya rose to her feet, taking up the sheathed katana. She turned and faced Karasuba, both having the same smile upon their faces, not filled with happiness or mirth but venom and spite. There was no denying the aggravation the two had in their relations with one another. Unlike Karasuba's clothing which was drenched by blood and giving the black of the uniform a feint sheen, Miya's had a few spots of blood on her hoari, but more prominent on the lower sections of her hakama due to her travel here through blood filled streets. It seemed to add even further the contrasts they had acquired away from each others presence for so long.

"I'm shaking with fright...you...the one who's power is like from Another Dimension." Karasuba remained sarcastic in tone. Miya snickered.

"You've gotten much stronger Karasuba...there's no denying that. But do you really think it's enough? For all that power, that razor focus...is off. Something's shaken you to the core despite your strength. What is it?" Miya asked calmly. It was something she was told from Jirou about. He had once told her that Karasuba would appear in his dreams quite often, and that they would end up fighting one another. Despite how much more power she possessed in relation to Jirou's own, he always prevailed because he could turn her own strength against her without strain to himself. Karasuba maintained her posture overall, but a small twitch in her right eye shown though just barely.

"What makes you say that?" The honey in Karasuba's voice could not totally hide the spike in aggravation. Karasuba indeed had been gaining doubts she never had beforehand and no Human could ever draw such a feeling out of her whom she couldn't kill. Jirou was the difference though, There was no denying that she had reacted to him, thus making him of Ashikabi status. She refused to tell Minaka, because she did not want him to grant the status of protection to the Ashikabi and not allow her the true duel to decide their strengths for sure in one on one combat. She wanted to kill him herself and be rid of these doubts.

Jirou's upbringing made it to light that the Humans of old that trained nearly all their lives in the warrior arts could contend with a Sekirei for they truly knew that strength alone did not make a decisive victory. It helped, but came in vastly more forms than merely the physical.

"Indeed...it doesn't register hardly at all in any part of your physical demeanor, even your eyes were pretty good at hiding it. However...the aura shrouding you tells me something is off, under all the killing intent you use to mask it..." Miya's eyes were serious, her lips a thin line of a neutral expression that revealed nothing. Karasuba mirrored the countenance, but her lips were curled downward slightly more in a frown.

"To be expected...that was always your absolute territory wasn't it? Having tied the knot with Takehito only made you more annoying than ever before. Oh well..." Karasuba bared her nodachi forward, aiming it towards Miya. Miya freed her blade from it's sheath, aiming it towards her opponent.

"You've no right to speak my late husband's name to me...I'm giving you one more chance, get away from here." She warned. Karasuba's face was completely calm once more, taking up a combat stance.

"You say I've gotten a lot stronger? Why not a little test to see how I measure up? Just like the good old days!" Karasuba hollered. Miya sighed.

"There is something I must wait for, but I guess I could indulge you for a short while." The two were at each other faster than the Human eye could detect, and when their blades clashed, the very building they were on started to crumble little by little from the force of the attack.

"What? You've never been hesitant when downing the enemy before...why haven't you cut that thing to shreds yet? Lost your touch? Don't want it to fall over the heads of a bunch of sobs who may not have been able to evacuate the city? Come on, give me a hint here!" Karasuba taunted. Their blades sparked from the pressure exerted from their strikes.

"It's none of your concern! Besides, if you don't want to tell me your story, why should I tell you mine?" Miya said tersely. Karasuba chuckled.

"Come on, tell me, I'm dying to know...ha ha ha!"

The City of Shintou Teitou(Yukari's Situation)

"Geez...these guys eat too much red meat or something...ewww!" Yukari sat bored besides Shiina as her temporary ally, Seo, was going a round of fisticuffs with another Ashikabi calling himself Sanada. How it got to this had been rather unexpected, if not comical at first. At least to Yukari, before she just scowled at the overly displayed masculine wiles of the two men. It didn't really help that the two actually were quite similar in personality or appearance to an extent. Yukari thought a brawl like this would be more elegant, but that was far from the case.

"So that's Sanada, Nishi of the West...he's more passionate than I'd envision since he tends to keep a low profile, and not much is known about him personally." Shiina mentioned as he sat beside Yukari.

"Huh? Shiina, you know that weirdo? I thought you just said he keeps a low profile, so how would you know about him at all?" She questioned. Shiina sighed.

"You've never heard his name mentioned every now and again? He's considered the strongest Ashikabi from the West City, and has the most Sekirei in this area. I wonder though...would your brother be considered the strongest Ashikabi from the North City now, since he also has multiple Sekirei?" Shiina pondered aloud.

"My bro could be a shoe in for strongest Ashikabi of the North, huh? I think he would be too modest to accept that title outright though. Though he must have some definite potential...its rare to see Ashikabi with more than one Sekirei usually. I happen to be one of them." She said.

"Yeah, only Ashikabi that can make multiple Sekirei react to him or her alone have the greatest chance of winning the Game. I'm still wondering if this whole debacle had to do with MBI or not though. The tower's the tallest thing around but that big airship never attempted to knock it down at all...I hope I'm just stressed out from all the fighting today and that it was a coincidence only." Shiina's body became more alert as he heard some feint noise of gun fire in the distance, but it soon ceased.

"Right...today has been really strange. Good thing most of the fighting with those soldiers is over with. There were some sticky situations getting out this far." Yukari curled up more into a ball, as she was getting cold from the coming chill of night approaching. Shiina heard the shiver due to their proximity. While normally the less assertive of their relationship, Shiina had his moments outside of combat to act more masculine in front of Yukari if only to prove he truly was the male of the relationship. He draped a comforting arm around Yukari's shoulder and tipped her closer to himself. A soft smile played on her lips.

A resounding thwack caught their attention, just turning to see both Seo and Sanada land uppercuts to each others chin at the same time. It had been with enough force to send each man off the ground about a foot high before they went crashing into the pavement with their backs. Both of them were panting heavily, muscles retracting as they tried to get their breathing under control. While Sanada might have looked somewhat similar to Seo in face and body type, clothing was another matter. Sanada had more of a biker look and vibe to him, adorned in a leather coat over his otherwise shirtless frame and pants to match. Perhaps the most distinguishing item on him were a pair of thick goggles that were around his neck.

"Kaoru, Seo...your darn good...I accept you as worthy to have been able to cop a feel on one of my Sekirei for you stood up to me like a man should. Truly...you've shown me your guts!" Sanada addressed Seo between heaving breaths.

"Sanada, Nishi...you ain't bad either...you deserved to have copped a feel...on one of my own Sekirei. I've...seen your guts also!" Seo spouted in the same manner. The two burly guys stood up shakily on their feet, and when the Sekirei belonging to them tried to help balance them, both denied with a shake of the head. They both looked to one another, eyes bright with vigor.

"Next time I'll defeat you for sure!" Both boasted to each other at the same time. Sanada walked away satisfied with his Sekirei, who looked at him in admiration and praise when they spoke a cheered him on.

"Are you sure he's not some long lost brother or something? You both looked related..." Mitsuki stated to her Ashikabi.

"You should have probably let us fight, since we heal faster than you...that's definitely going to be a black eye soon." Mitsuha poked at the tender and swollen flesh around his left eye. Seo hardly flinched but could not resist letting a small hiss escape from his mouth.

"Enough...you two act as if I were useless in a brawl or something. I'm probably better than three-fourths of any other Ashikabi. I don't always have to hide behind a Sekirei!" He laughed.

"Ha! Well that was pretty cool of you to defend our honor...but you copped a feel as well..." Mitsuki twisted his ear, making him holler in pain.

"Why don't you put those smooth moves into winging some free Sekirei rather than waste time on some winged ones? We'd have to fight them any way. I thought that powerful nose of yours could detect who was winged and who wasn't?" Mitsuha admonished him. Seo smacked Mitsuki's hand from his ear playfully.

"I would if..." He suddenly paused, seeing three newcomers land on the scene. It happen to be Kuusano, Akitsu, and Yahan. Kuusano had recognized Shiina from further away and wanted to stop by and greet him along with Yukari.

"Shiina-onii-chan! Yukari-onee-chan!" She called cutely. Both Shiina and Yukari stood up.

"Kuu-chan! I'm glad you're okay! You and Akitsu-san left so quickly...I was worried." He took the young Sekirei into his arms from Akitsu's shoulders.

"Who is she? A Sekirei?" Yukari noticed Yahan. The dark skinned Sekirei nodded.

"I'm Yahan. You're friends with Kuusano, that much is obvious. I'm more of an acquaintance at this point due to all the chaos earlier." Yahan spoke, but elaborated little else. She had kept her reply brief, her eyes darting around. Yahan had a powerful ability but it required her a degree of skill to see and navigate where a shadow was and how to pop out of them at opportune times. It did little good to materialize up from a shadow of a falling building that could come down and crush her after all, so she often scanned her surroundings and had become quite apt at seeing shadows quickly enough to get to them in the span of about five seconds.

"Kuu-chan, you and Akitsu-san didn't happen to run into my bro along the way did you?" Yukari spoke up after the pleasantries were exchanged. Kuusano shook her head.

"I see...I hope he's alright..." Yukari whispered. She may tease Minato a lot, but she was very fond of her brother.

"That's too bad...but don't worry Yukari-chan, I'm sure he's fine! He's probably with Haruka-san and they have each others back!" Shiina spoke hopefully. Yukari nodded.

"You're right, Shiina. Still, we should have an easier time finding them now that all this fighting has cooled down." She said. Meanwhile Seo and his Sekirei had remained back for a bit.

"More Sekirei? That Yukari chick seems to know them pretty well." Mitsuha observed. Seo's nose twitched as he smelled something in the air.

"Two of them are still free, but the one with bandages on her forehead is the Scrapped Number. She can't be winged. There's a protective instinct in her scent...I think she's taken the little girl under her charge...even the dark skinned babe is being protected. Before you two say anything, just know...if I tried to wing those two, it might not happen before I get frozen solid. My special hold would not effect the Scrapped Number, nor are you two a match for her despite what you may think, so..." Seo explained, his face having a rare side of seriousness just like his voice. He usually came off as an easy going type of guy, but Seo had worked for MBI at one point and had distinct abilities other Ashikabi lacked. Mitsuha and Mitsuki became more serious themselves, sizing Akitsu up. Seeming to feel their gazes, Akitsu looked to them as well, and while emotionless, she held their gazes easily. Yukari broke up the tension without realizing it.

"Hey, scruffy, I guess I won't need your help anymore. My friends got my back again, so if you want to go back to your place you can." Yukari told him.

"I see...but none of them have seen your brother yet right? I'll stick with you all until then." Seo said with a smirk of confidence.

"You don't have to, but thanks. Guess I'll have to come up with a Thank You Gift later on." Yukari said.

"If you wanna thank me, why not let me and my girls get a meal from Miya-san?" He remarked lightly with a chuckle.

"You know the landlady from Maison Izumo? I didn't think she had many acquaintances outside of her tenants..." Yukari confessed, a bit surprised that Seo called the landlady by her name like that rather than by her title.

"Well...I know her through her late husband, who was a friend of mine. In fact me and him were the ones that renovated the property that would eventually become Maison Izumo as you know it. Pretty cool huh?" Seo said with a bigger grin. He didn't want to sound like he stalked the inn or something if he didn't elaborate on some things. The information was still very vague regardless.

"Anyway, let's head out, maybe go back closer to the North City. Your bro might have made his way closer around that area already." Seo said before any further probing could initiate.

Maison Izumo, Within the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

"Her condition is stable for now. She's sleeping at the moment." Kochou said. Chiho rested in Uzume's room. Uzume's gaze was relieved. It had taken quite some time for Uzume and Ikki to get back since they had to travel fairly delicately due to Chiho and her frail condition, but they made it without much hitch save for a few stragglers of Zeed's wandering about. MBI wasn't taking any prisoners, and stray gunfire had to be avoided just as much.

"Matsu, Kochou-san, thank you very much for this!" Uzume had changed over to her civilian attire, fingering the pager that Matsu had lent her to allow her to know if Chiho's condition became worse so she could be given more medicine. She held it like she was inspecting a precious stone.

"No problem, but even you should be aware that she will only be temporarily stable for maybe three days at best with the medicine and no equipment to aid in the process. We really need to try and get her treated...but only MBI's technology, which is also steeped in our own, can save her...heck she might be able to make a full recovery." Matsu informed Uzume. Uzume's expression became more hopeful.

"That would be wonderful...but with this whole debacle winding down, plus the recovery of the city...today it's definitely best to not move her any further. It was a close enough call as is..." She said. Matsu nodded, her own expression serious. Her glasses glinted sharply as the light hit them as she pushed them back onto the bridge of her nose, a lecherous smirk on her lips.

"Glad you understand...and now that that's out of the way for the time being...if I didn't know any better, I might be inclined to say that girl's an Ashikabi and you reacted to her, Uzume-tan. So...spill." Matsu chuckled.

"It really isn't our business if you don't want to say, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't also curious, Uzume-san." Ikki spoke up afterwords, leaning against the wall. Kochou crossed her arms over her ample chest and did not speak, but she wasn't leaving so she too was curious. Uzume chuckled and rubbed the back of her head in abashment.

"Okay, okay, I get it...and yeah, she is an Ashikabi and I did react to her, but she didn't want me to be winged by her. You see...I wanted to, I really did, but she found out that Higa was manipulating a lot of Ashikabi and their Sekirei to do some pretty shady work about the Game. She didn't want me dragged into that...so..." Uzume's words drifted off for a bit. All the other Sekirei wore solemn gazes.

"I admit that it hurt a lot actually at first...but she told me that she would like me to visit her, for she had few friends...she knew about the Sekirei vaguely since one of her friends was an Ashikabi who's Sekirei was being forced to do Higa's bidding. So I broke some rules when I divulged a lot of information regarding our race and the Sekirei Plan itself despite her not being my true Ashikabi yet. But I've been going there discreetly whenever I could to cheer Chiho-chan up. A lot of my cosplay uniforms were used as entertainment. That sums up our encounters in a nutshell." Uzume finished explaining the gist of it. Once she stopped talking Kochou interjected.

"If I may, Uzume-san, I would like to ask if you knew that Hidaka-san...that is, Chiho, was barely hanging on to life when you met her. I believe I know which friend she had who was the Ashikabi, the one who was using her Sekirei to help keep herself and Chiho maintained just enough to be living. Both of Chiho's parents have passed away already, so basically...it's a miracle she has survived on up to now. I would not like to dampen the mood, but we must be realistic here. Let's have #06 get in contact with Sahashi, Takami as soon as he can. She may be the only one who can save Chiho and finally cure her illness. Nor does it hurt that Jirou-san wanted to meet with Sahashi anyway." Kochou informed her. Matsu became more serious again.

"Yeah...that's not a bad idea to try out...and it could kill two birds with one stone...er, maybe that's not the best analogy since our race were named Sekirei. Hopefully she will have some time to meet maybe tomorrow or the day after, since I expect things will be real busy at MBI for a while. Anyway, I'll head back to my room and inform Homura-tan or I might forget it later." Matsu said as she went back to her room, the others following close behind. It had been a little while since the two Information Sekirei were monitoring fully what was going on out there in the city after all.

"Matsu, Kochou-san, again, thank you. If Chiho-chan can finally make a full recovery...if it's really possible, I'd be indebted to the both of you for the rest of my life!" Uzume bowed to her in gratitude. She knew she sprang this on them suddenly for she never talked about meeting with Chiho or just how sick the young Ashikabi was, now the two were already preparing steps that could save Chiho's life and let her live like a normal Human being. A few tears streaked down Uzume's cheeks.

"Uzume-san, you could thank me, too. I was the one that helped you get her here after all." Ikki patted the cloth using Sekirei on the back.

"Of course...Ikki-san you were a big help too. I'm really glad I've got friends like you three. Even if it turns out to be too late for her...we won't know until we try." Uzume wiped her face with the back of her sleeve, removing her tears. She wouldn't fret yet, her cheery smile in place. Ikki and the other two Sekirei smiled back. In a way Uzume had faced the similar situation that they did, having an Ashikabi that would not wing them. Deep down there was pain in their hearts for they wanted to feel that feeling of being winged. Still they could hold onto hope more easily since Jirou was healthy and well though. Right now wasn't the time to be thinking on such things though.

"That's the spirit!" Matsu cheered.

Wing of Darkness, Inside of Hull, Third Floor

The power and speed Hotsuma displayed was incredible. Jirou had to rely on his external senses to aid him, much as in the fight with the Fushin Ninja, for Hotsuma and Hibana were hiding their auras. Hibana had been ordered to hold back and be a witness, much to her dismay but she did as she was told for now and continued to observe with arms crossed in annoyance.

'Impossible...this warrior possesses Akujiki...!' Jirou had defended against three swipes of the mighty blade and had to leap away from being crushed by a fourth strike that left a large jagged fissure in the metal of the wall where Jirou had just been. Jirou had to instill ki in his blade just to keep it from being destroyed by Akujiki itself. The two Shinobi now strafed about each other.

'He knows this weapon. He even strengthened the durability of his weapon with his ki just to keep it from breaking.' Hotsuma observed. He was impressed that his opponent was contending with him even without much of a light source to go by. Jirou's eyes remained closed, using all external senses to allow him to react to Hotsuma's attacks through intuition and insight. Hotsuma pressed the offensive and struck, but Jirou continued to parry and counter attack. Hotsuma's reflexes were amazing though and his Stealth Dash technique allowed him to evade Jirou's counters with ease but even still, any counters to the counter attacks of Jirou were defended just as swiftly, and Hibana had to suppress giving a low whistle of awe at the display. It wasn't often one could react to the Stealth Dash the way Jirou was.

Hotsuma had ended up around at Jirou's back a few times, but Jirou would defend behind himself without even turning around to meet Hotsuma's flurry of strikes. Jirou's defense was like a flurry of movements on their own that guarded the opposition. Even the sides of Jirou and above him were impenetrable for Jirou could still block with ease. Hotsuma finally spoke aloud to Jirou.

"Very impressive. Let's see if you can last a whole minute and remain unscathed if my ally attacks you from the rear and I the front." Hotsuma gave the signal and a delighted Hibana leaped over Jirou to take his back. Even by just sound alone, Jirou could realize that the ally of the male was female. Just the barest sounds of movement and breathing allowed him to discern this.

"So be it." Jirou muttered. The two were at him at the same time, fighting in perfect tandem. But what their eyes observed was astounding. No matter where they struck, Jirou's ninjatou was there to defend, or his body was twisted to evade and they could not touch him. But they also saw that he could not attack or push them away easily without leaving an opening otherwise so he was effectively trapped between walls of blades. Even the Stealth Dash did not keep Jirou off guard. He reacted to the increase in speed with his continued impenetrable wall of defense and evasion.

"Enough." Finally Hotsuma leaped back and sheathed Akujiki, Hibana also jumping back to give Jirou some space. Jirou's clothing sported even more cuts, but no wounds marred his body. By some miracle, his scarf was still intact as well but definitely sported shreds of cloth in disarray as they flapped about. All of them were breathing a bit more heavily from the exertion. Jirou had not been in a spar with live blades for quite some time, not since he was transport through time. To top it off, it had been even longer since he sparred in such conditions as being near completely blinded, but relying on what little light there was in the room would prove more distracting than helpful so Jirou had closed his eyes and maintained his focus.

"You, the male...you are using the blade Akujiki, aren't you? How did you acquire that weapon?" Jirou questioned as he stood up from his battle stance. Hotsuma regarded Jirou for a moment longer before responding.

"So you really do know this weapon. Do you know how a ninja must acquire it within a certain clan?" Hotsuma spoke up and crossed his arms. He needed to know if Jirou knew of the Oboro already, and from the sound of the Sekirei he met, Jirou should know. Which he did.

"Only the successors for the title of Shadow Master of the Oboro Clan can earn it. A ritual of combat on the night of the full moon with the current Shadow Master as witness is how it is done. The two successors must prove themselves." Jirou spoke, fist clenching. If what the Fushin Ninja had hinted at was true, then the Oboro had not been completely decimated as Jirou had originally come to believe.

"So you do hold a connection to the Oboro, for only one of our closest allies would know of that. I don't know how it is you came to Shintou Teitou, but you must explain yourself...after we have taken down this monstrosity attacking the city. Will you ally yourself with us?" Hotsuma would be lying if he said he wanted to learn all he could about Jirou, but the time for talking had to be brief for they were already wasting enough time as is.

"I will...but tell me one thing first. You are the Shadow Master of the Oboro? Only they may use Akujiki if it is their wish." Jirou pressed. Seeing no harm in passing this information, Hotsuma did so.

"Yes, I am the current Shadow Master of the Oboro. It's not often that I would come into a mission such as this, but having seen the small display against that helicopter you destroyed left an impression in me. That you would be too much for just any ninja I sent to investigate you. I'd have to say that I was correct. Someone with your skill in defense...honestly I can't think of anyone on par with that kind of ability." Hotsuma's voice was truthful in it's praise.

"But for now, let's continue forward. If you can, a place to hide after this thing is taken down would be a necessity. We responded to this attack as fast as we could and had less than adequate time to plan further ahead besides today." Hotsuma concluded. Jirou bowed.

"I can do that. For now I'm trying to find the control area and take down the pilot of this thing. If it even has one." Jirou confided, curbing any surprise from his voice and mind. The mission would have to come first. Hibana interjected.

"Judging by the heat signatures, I'd say one more floor down and towards the front of the ship might have what we're looking for. You take point and we got your back...friend." Hibana spoke in a no nonsense tone.

"Understood." Jirou replied and took the lead. He knew that this was done because trust was not fully established, and with such a delicate mission going on there was no room for arguing. For now, even if he was with two people who were part of the Oboro as he was, Jirou was still the odd one out. All of them kept their auras out of sight of each other so as not to be sensed out of their inner feelings. When they had reached a more well lit area, Jirou cast his glance back to see exactly who his current allies appeared as. It did not take long to see the obvious differences as well as the more modern and updated look the two possessed by comparison to Jirou himself. The helmet visors they had still held a similar remnant of his forehead protector of old, and Hotsuma even possessed a scarf very much like Jirou's own and currently in much better condition. He wanted to ask if the Oboro still changed to black uniforms when on a mission or maintained the white one when on their home territory. Such a question would have to wait however.

They all clung to what shadow they could, and killed what soldier crossed their united path with swift silence and efficiency.

The City of Shintou Teitou

Miya and Karasuba struck at each other once more. The roof now possessed many jutted and cracked portions along the surface from the force behind their strikes. Miya hated to admit it, but Karasuba's weapon had been more battle worn and maintained then the katana she was using which hadn't left it's sheath for a very long time. The blade's pristine edge hadn't known blood until today, though its very user was still as skilled at the killing arts as she ever was even though it had been some time. But that wouldn't help her much if her blade broke under excess pressure.

"Your still pretty good, Miya...guess you've been keeping up your training. At least you'll provide a decent challenge from other Sekirei I faced. I usually kill them in one hit and they crumple like paper! Fun, but definitely not as thrilling as it use to be!" Karasuba laughed as the dance of blades between them continued with neither one giving much leeway to the other. Miya was impressed by Karasuba's power, and she didn't have to hold back nearly as much of her own like when doing spars. Their blades locked together again. The more the fight escalated, the more Karasuba could keep her razor focus from straying to thinking about her defeats to Jirou. Miya noted this side of her opponent. Miya pushed her opponent back with a sudden boost of strength, releasing a bit more of her inner limits on her power. She only hoped her katana could last a while longer under all the strain of the fight, for attacking and defending Karasuba's strikes was like slamming or being slammed by a slab of solid concrete, which would ware the edges of their weapons further.

"Taunting someone stronger than you isn't wise, Karasuba. You're lucky I don't just end you like you end other Sekirei. To let you be on the short end of the stick for a change." Miya spoke as she took her battle stance again. Karasuba smirked as she skidded to a halt.

"Now that's more like the strength I remember. But for all that gall you've got...I don't recall you ever trying to shed Sekirei blood freely. There's the difference between you and me...your one great weakness. Or did you think I would have never realized it after all this time?" Karasuba didn't recoil in fear like how others would. Miya was for all intensive purposes akin to a mother for Sekirei. She had been the only mature adult at the time of the spaceship's founding on Kamikura Island after all, as well as leader for the first Disciplinary Squad which protected said island from invaders. As Hiroto and Takami were the first contacts for Sekirei, they were the most trusted in the beginning and a source of guidance for the world of Earth. At least the small portion of the world anyway, that being the island of Japan.

"Are you volunteering to be the first then Karasuba? It's not like there is much physical difference between Humans and Sekirei, we both bleed red all the same." Miya spoke calmly, not being baited by Karasuba's taunt.

"Big talk...but I don't think you can do it, or you would have already! Or you worried Minaka would pester you about the Sekirei Plan? Come on...for all those brains in him there's not much he can control on his own merits. You'd know that better than me." Karasuba brought her nodachi across her shoulder and leaving herself open, as if daring Miya to kill her. Miya was at her faster than she had anticipated, and could not react in time as Miya slammed the butt of her katana right into Karasuba's torso. The black Sekirei gasped, having the wind knocked out of her. Her nodachi nearly fell from her grasp but she she held on and staggered back a few steps.

"You're right, Karasuba...I won't kill you. Killing Sekirei is your trademark, not mine. I think I've indulged you long enough. Leave, or I'll knock you out and hang you from a light post in the buff for all to witness. Then again maybe that should be done anyway. Maybe you could defeat the white ninja in your head by undergoing a lesson in humility." Mention of the white ninja actually stung Karasuba more than she would care to admit, nor did it lighten any when someone else stronger than her told as such. Karasuba grunted through grit teeth, glaring at Miya without reserve. It was her true feeling showing through the usual facade upon her perfect face.

"You...but how? I didn't tell you that...how do you know?" The black Sekirei growled out.

"Oh right, you didn't...but regardless, I won't say so you're wasting your breath." Miya said. Karasuba's grip was tighter around her nodachi, and she swung it upward to try and catch Miya in the throat. Miya swung down with her katana against the nodachi in defense. Karasuba's nodachi shattered to pieces save for a small portion of the once long blade remaining upon the hilt. Karasuba snorted in amusement.

"Well damn...you turned my nodachi into a kitchen knife. I was actually rather fond of this one too...oh well. Guess it's a draw. So I'll go then." Karasuba tossed the remains of the nodachi away. Miya inspected her own blade, the katana sporting deep cracks to the point it was unrepairable. Should she swing it one more time it too would snap to pieces. Karasuba turned away from Miya and departed by leaping off the scene, scowling all the way. It was never easy for others to get under her skin, but Miya had done it superbly and it irked her. She decided she would go back to MBI Tower since the streets were dead quiet. Miya returned to her sheath, gently placing the katana inside. It had but one swing left in it, so she would have to make it count.

Miya pondered if she should try going back to the inn to retrieve another katana, for she had a few lying around the inn she could procure, but she didn't know if she would make it in time, so she decided to wait and sat in seiza once again. If things were really lucky, Jirou could still take down the Wing of Darkness without her aid. But still she would remain on standby as she told Jirou she would and await a response. She took a few soothing breaths to calm herself, since Karasuba always did seem to bring the bad vibes out of her. It was something few had the knack of doing.

MBI Tower, Tallest structure in Shintou Teitou

"Well...that's definitely going into the archives for multiple viewings...heh heh heh...a little duel between Miya and Kara-chan...it's been too long!" Hiroto wiped some sweat from his brow with a handkerchief, loosened his tie and undid the top three buttons of his shirt. He even removed his gloves and wiped his hands dry. It had been quite the thrill for Hiroto to witness the other Sekirei Battles, but it was even more so when he picked up the start of Karasuba and Miya's little skirmish. Granted he could only wonder why Miya was out and about, and maybe Karasuba could glean some insight when she returned, so he curbed his curiosity for the time being. He called Takami from his phone.

"What do you want Minaka?" Was the response he received from the other end of the phone.

"Takami-kun, I know you got your hands full, but you may be pulling an all nighter...you see, quite of few Sekirei have been terminated from the game...in no small part due to one Sahashi, Minato if you're curious...he's doing fine by the way so don't worry! Him and Yukari!" Hiroto chuckled. Takami mentally cursed.

"What...?! I...see. So how did that end up happening?" Takami tried to remain as detached as she usually was, but Hiroto had caught her off guard for the moment when he mentioned Minato and Yukari, her precious children.

"Higa, Izumi. He tried to overpower our dear Minato-kun by use of vastly superior numbers of Sekirei. But there is one thing he doesn't understand regarding Sekirei...well, most Ashikabi might not. But we do...can you tell me what you think it was? Can you connect the dots, even though you didn't witness that glorious battle?!" Hiroto laughed harder now. Takami scowled though that didn't show over the phone.

"Shut up! If I had to wager, it's because of the emotional bonds between Ashikabi and Sekirei. Those bonds fuel greater power in Sekirei far better than sheer physical training or the like. Higa's got...or at least had a lot of Sekirei, but his bonds with them have always been weak. We know that for a fact. That alone can make or break a battle. But anyway...you want me to patch them all up when they arrive, hence the reason for an all nighter?" Takami responded with her explanation. Hiroto smiled.

"Ah yes, that's the reason...but I wonder, few other MBI employees have your skill set Takami...would you like some help for this one? It has been awhile since I've tinkered with Sekirei myself after all...just think of it...could be like the good old days, no?" Hiroto's voice was cheery in tone.

"Uh...I'll pass Minaka. Besides, in case you've forgotten, your going to have one hell of a story to tell the press tomorrow. I mean seriously...how does a city like Shintou Teitou get attacked in such a fashion as this? Have you even been doing anything other than relying on Sekirei and your military to take out that floating death machine? I get it that maybe satellite lasers over the city would be bad, but still..."Takami trailed off. She didn't want to work with Hiroto not out of a lack of appreciation for his offered help but with that many Sekirei to repair, she was sure that she could finally get a lead as to what was happening to terminated Sekirei under the cover of darkness. Saki would help her with that and hopefully finally get some actual dirt that was useable.

"I see your point Takami-kun, but I've got it covered. You sure you wouldn't like some help? I don't get to offer it very often, but a big load like this is pretty tempting to work on. So...you really sure about that?" He asked again.

"Look, I'll be fine Minaka...but I expect to get at least four days off with overtime pay...and I get to choose the days whenever I want, and you won't have any control over them. Got it?" Takami said smartly. Hiroto sighed in mock hurt.

"Oh very well, Takami-kun. I'll leave you be. Take a break right now, since you can expect the Sekirei to be coming probably in about half an hour."

Wing of Darkness, Nearing the Mega Core

The three ninja ended up bypassing a wide open room without much trouble. This was thanks to how the room was constructed, having a thick bridge being the only way past with plenty of large mechanical humanoid cybernetic creatures patrolling about and toting mini guns in a single hand like they weighed nothing. Human soldiers also patrolled with them. Plenty of large generators and other machines resided in the area mostly suspended in the air or on the ground but always supported with a great network of pipes.

These pipes allowed the three to bypass the bridge without having to alert any enemy on the bridge. It had been another matter with security drones however. These tiny combat machines were only the size of a grown man's palm, but possessed a turret on the underside of it's tiny body, and an alarm system to alert for intruders. Luckily kunai could drop them easily as they possessed no great durability, and kept them from springing their alarms for too long to catch the attention of their allies.

"The next room had several open vents leading to the outside of the ship. This meant they should be getting relatively close to the control room, according to Hibana.

"Crap...that thing over there...has to be a last security defense." Hibana muttered. Along the ceiling was a black sphere that moved along the a rail, casting a red light on nearly the entire room. There was no easy way to avoid it.

"Strange...it radiates with a lot of energy...could it be that this ship's got a Mega Core that can double as a weapon? I didn't think one could be completely mobile from a generator like that. The technology in this place is odd enough...but this...well we would have to take it down as well, since it could help lower the mobility of this thing. Even weapon systems would probably be destroyed or at least harmed." Hotsuma muttered. Jirou had an idea come to him.

"The two of you are easily faster than me with that technique you both possess. If it means to lock us from the control room, we can't allow that. I'll handle this while you two stop the actual controller. Besides, this will likely stop a good portion of the ship judging from your words Shadow Master. That marked area over there will likely gate us off. You both head past it before it closes. I'll rejoin you once I'm done here." Jirou pointed to a a line stripped with yellow and black, leading just beyond this room. If they could take on both this and the controller, the ship would likely fall and all they would need to do was make a quick escape.

"Alright...you sound sure, so the two of us will leave it to you." Hotsuma acknowledged, his body coiled and ready to dash forward. Hibana wasn't so trusting of Jirou, and she shook her head as Hotsuma caught her gaze. Hotsuma gave a discreet hand signal to her and she knew she had little choice but to follow. He and Hibana were but blurs as they bypassed the red light and an alarm blared not soon after, but that was because Jirou had stepped out soon after.

Two thick plated and fenced walls slammed down from the ceiling of this new room, but thanks to the Stealth Dash, Hotsuma and Hibana were able to evade it and get out of the other side.

"Are you really sure about this Hotsu-baby? You don't think your putting your trust in him a little too quickly?" She questioned as they went to a normal pace once more down an empty hall.

"I understand your concern Hibana...considering your teacher Jimushi...but in the end he did what was best to strengthen the clan's resolve in a perilous time. I'm sure that Shinobi can be trusted. He hid his aura, but he has complied with us the entire time without complaint. Have some faith, just like you've got my back, alright?" Hotsuma reassured. Hibana shrugged as they continued on.

"Yeah, your right...well let's go say hi to our captain aboard this ship then?" The Kunoichi ran a bit faster.

"Right." Hotsuma agreed. Meanwhile Jirou watched as the black sphere came to the fence that barred his exit from meeting back up with Hotsuma and Hibana. A rail came down on either side of the black sphere, which was about the size of a human head. Crimson lasers formed a barrier to keep anyone from directly hitting it. Vents on the floor and ceiling opened up. Jirou kept his gaze on the mobile sphere as it kept moving up and down along the rail.

"Well?" Jirou inquired. The sphere emanated with light and shot large blasts of condensed energy at Jirou but they traveled only moderate speeds. However they homed in on Jirou's location. The Shinobi found this out when he slid past one only for it to follow him and nearly crash into his back. Jirou defended with a ki powered blade to protect from the small explosion as he kept his eye trained on the black sphere of the Mega Core. His arm moved swiftly as he fired two kunai at the sphere, bypassing the red lasers and striking the sphere. It sparked for a bit, and Jirou was glad that it seemed to not have much defense save for the wall of lasers keeping a blade from striking it directly.

'So...it must be fairly fragile. I'll have to be perfect in my aim or I could use up all my kunai in this battle if I'm not careful.' Opportunity struck though when he fired a few more kunai. The sphere adapted by letting a metal plate cover it and a couple of kunai fell from the outer shell and fell within reach under the bottom red laser. Jirou slid again and kicked the kunai back to his hand. He got the kunai just in time, because the vents lit up with flames. They barely missed catching Jirou from where he was at originally. He flipped out of the way as flames shot up again from under the floor he stood from the vents, and Jirou leaped up to Spider Walk the ceiling.

The vents up there did the same though, but were still easily telegraphed as the metal grate removed from protecting the sphere so it could attack again with it's homing blasts, only to receive four kunai cracking into it.

'So that's it's folly...it won't be able to fire and protect itself at the same time, hence why it has the vents expel fire from the ceiling and the ground. So long as I move and look out for when it doesn't protect itself, it can do little to harm me.' Or so Jirou had hoped. That turned out to be half right as the Mega Core controlled the walls to enclose in further, making evading the flames even harder. Soon Jirou might be crushed and melted by the red lasers and flames.

"Well played, but it's not enough." Jirou said calmly as he noted the protected sphere still moving up and down the rail was coming closer to him, and he noted the metal shield that protected it had slight openings above and below it. They were vents meant to keep the sphere that was the Mega Core cool enough as to not overheat. Jirou grabbed his ninjatou swiftly and swung his arm past the gap in the laser barrier and the tip of his ninjatou then pierced the sphere directly through. It was still a bit of a close call as Jirou was still being pushed towards the lasers, but they thankfully turned off. The Shinobi had to hit the deck when the sphere exploded and nearly caught him as well had he not dove out of the way of searing metal and wiring slamming into the wall of the other side.

Seeing a small hole from where the Mega Core was, Jirou slid his way through the opening, though had to remove his sheathed weapon so it wouldn't get caught. Once he was out, he stood and waited for a few moments. The whole airship lurched for a little while and Jirou used his Spider Walk to remain standing. The airship righted itself after a moment.

'Destroying that contraption may have helped...but not by much...let me see how the Shadow Master and his ally are fairing.' Jirou rushed off to reach Hotsuma and Hibana. It had been a straight shot to reach the bridge. While Jirou had fought the Mega Core, Hotsuma and Hibana finally saw just who was in control of the ship.

'The two ninja saw the large figure looking out at the sky through four large windows situated near the front center of the ship, which was part of the whale like face of the Wing of Darkness. Two strange cylinder like tubes jutted from the boney covered back of the strange humanoid creature. Stealth didn't aid them for the reflection from the window allowed the captain to realize someone was there.

The thing that turned around was grotesque, full of bony armor and thick sinewy muscles peaking from areas of the armor. Two sunken eyes that glowed eery yellow glared at the two, while the fleshy portion of it's face was bared with a manic grin showing nothing but sharp rows of teeth. Two massive arms ejected from the strange tube shaped indents at the control console. They were covered in bony plates and made up of three digit claws. With a swipe of those claws the creature, some kind of Super Soldier, was freed of the two tube like prongs that connected to it's back. The airship had lurched at this moment, the same time that Jirou had destroyed the Mega Core, and everything had been cast in feint red light. Back up generators kicked in and the regular filtered light shined in the room once more.

Smiling wider, if that were possible, the Super Soldier growled in delight.

"You, are you the pilot for this thing? Answer me!" Hotsuma demanded. The Super Soldier just gnashed it's teeth together and grunted in seeming amusement but responded without words. With little other warning it charged at the two. It's shoulder was slashed into by Hotsuma with the Akujiki. The Shadow Master grunted though, for despite the sharpness of the mystic blade, the speed and durability of the Super Soldier was amazing. He did end up hacking the top of one spiked shoulder on the Super Soldier's bone armor and evade by going to the side of the large creature. He then swiped it in the back, catching it at a small opening in the back where it's spine was located. The Super Soldier grunted in pain, slamming against a wall and leaving a large dent on the surface.

Hibana already exploited it's staggered state, hopping on the creatures back and drawing her tantou blades out and impaling them on either side of the exposed flesh of it's neck. To her surprise, it didn't die instantly from such an attack at a vulnerable area. It's claws nearly sunk into her, but Hibana jumped off and narrowly dodged. The Super Soldier snarled and leaped high into the air, planning to stomp Hibana into the ground. Hibana was easily out of the way as it's large foot slammed into the ground. Hotsuma rushed in, piercing through the a gap in it's protective bony plating to to get Akujiki under it's ribcage. Hotsuma twisted the blade to inflict a greater wound and wretched his blade up higher, to hit the heart. He almost didn't escape getting crushed in a bear hug as the Super Soldier extended out it's wide arms to clamp around him.

"Die." Hotsuma growled, seeing the Super Soldier gape in pain before it's arms fell limp followed by it's body. Hotsuma kicked the creature from his blade, the Super Soldier falling on it's back while it's soul got absorbed by Akujiki.

"Well that sucks. He didn't seem capable of understanding Human speech. On another note though...who's piloting this thing? Did he put it in auto pilot or what?" Hibana checked the console where the Super Soldier had been controlling the ship.

"Can you get anything? Can we make this thing fall into the Sea of Japan? We're directly over it!" Hotsuma said as he sheathed the Akujiki. He proceeded towards Hibana, but the Super Soldier caught his attention. The bony armor fell away, and so did the fleshy mass of muscles that made up what flesh it had. Hotsuma looked hard at the remains, before scanning it with his visor. The Super Soldier's outer parts didn't register to the visor at all, but there was apparently something underneath.

"Hey, I've got a problem here. There's a glass panel that is shielding the buttons. I hate to say it, but my weapons aren't denting them easily. Can you try Akujiki?" Hibana said as she turned to Hotsuma. He rose to his feet.

"Alright, but check this thing...it looks like an average person is inside!" Hotsuma took her place and she his. Akujiki easily cut through the glass panel that covered the controls, maybe a safety precaution for the pilot not to mess up anything or they had appeared when the Super Soldier went into combat against the two ninja. Hotsuma could not read any of the tags and so pressed buttons at random. Each time he did so, the whole console of buttons would flash red a few times and then be still, as if they were in some kind of lock status.

"What the...? There's a...woman under all this...I thought this damn thing was male...it certainly looked and sounded like one..." Hibana pulled out the upper part of a female body, whose head was shaved of hair. A large red crest adorned her forehead and seemed to be the profile view of a bird. The Kunoichi was about to bring her visor down to scan this dead individual.

"What do you mean...?" Hotsuma asked but did not turn around from trying to fiddle with the buttons. Jirou entered barely a second after the words left Hotsuma's mouth. He gasped.

"A...Sekirei...? What has happened?" Jirou went by Hibana's side to inspect the dead Sekirei.

"You're right...but we didn't realize it was even a woman under all this stuff...what do you know of Sekirei? You're obviously friends with at least one." Hibana said to him. Hotsuma cut into the console with Akujiki in an attempt to shut the thing down. It seemed to work. But only for a little while. The ship went dark and tipped but then righted itself as the power went on. Sirens blared.

"I..." Jirou stopped responding, realizing that the Sekirei body was starting to melt with the other remains of what had once been the Super Soldier. Both he and Hibana stepped away from the corpse.

"Let's talk of it later. In a safer place." Jirou said after a moment.

"Damn...now what...? This thing is staying in auto pilot or something...must be auxiliary power keeping it afloat. We can expect to be swarmed by remaining enemies...but we need to get out of here. But how are we going to take this thing down?" Hotsuma had pretty much smashed the controls completely to pieces but the ship would not fall.

"Wait...you can use the Oboro's Ninjutsu correct?" Hotsuma pointed to Jirou, who nodded.

"Yes." He affirmed.

"That Generator room, the biggest one in the entire airship...we may not be able to search it all thoroughly, but if we can destroy large chunks of it, we may be able to stop the second source of power keeping this thing afloat. Let's head back, but we will have to work quickly, which means being out in the open for a little while until we can make our escape!" Hotsuma instructed and the three left to make it to the generator room. Some soldiers were already heading their way, but were soundly killed thanks to the Stealth Dash of Hotsuma and Hibana that allowed them to get to the enemy's back. Jirou defended himself from stray fire by parrying the bullets. The Cyborgs with the mini guns showed up and fired barrages of bullets. Hotsuma got to their backs and ended them with the sharpness of Akujiki quickly.

The three ran towards the center of the bridge while pushing the opposition back, but things would get severely dire if they didn't react soon.

"Fire Jutsu is the most destructive one the Oboro can manage so use it to wipe out as much of the enemy and equipment here!" Hotsuma ordered. They had all gathered ki within them to generate fiery auras. Jirou had been at the rear, and had a small show of surprise at the hand formations used by his allies to cast their Ninjutsu. The Oboro's Ninjutsu in this time, while still powerful, underwent some downgrades for the ancient scrolls of the full teachings of the ancient arts were lost in the original village at Kyoto. With each successive generation, the use of Ninjutsu casting could not fully be kept recorded for few had the original Ninjutsu skills since they often went unused except for extreme last resorts and were easy to forget parts of to make the spells their most optimal.

The spell Hotsuma and Hibana cast was known as Ka'en. A combustion of fire surrounded them and expanded outward to take out anything they wished to have destroyed within a certain radius the mighty attack effected. They were in awe though, and almost lost concentration when Jirou used his Ninjutsu. As it was fire based and of the ancient arts in it's entirety, the Ninjutsu Kariu was more than just a mere explosion like Ka'en was. Once the explosion began, four pillars of flame spread outward to continue the destruction, looking nearly like the twisting forms of dragons. Once it ended and the two present time Oboro Ninja could see through the blinding haze of flames that had surrounded Jirou pass, they gazed at him in wonder.

"What...was that?" Hibana spoke up first. The ship lurched, and they realized they didn't have much time until it hit the water to make their escape. Or so they had believed, but the airship once again upright itself.

"Dammit...not even that worked." Hotsuma cursed. Jirou knew of only one more alternative.

"Shadow Master, we must escape. I've one ally who may be able to do what we could not, but we must get outside first!" Jirou took the lead as cyborgs appeared and fired at the three as they ran across the bridge. Jirou threw his kunai towards his enemies. Hotsuma and Hibana both noted that the kunai emanated with a fiery aura. The cyborgs were pierced through like they were made of paper. Jirou shot more fire kunai that breached through metal doors, walls, and enemy alike as he created a path most directly towards the bottom of the airship.

"How are you doing that? A kunai should not be able to be infused with that much power to pierce completely through metal like it's sheering through paper!" Hotsuma said as he followed close behind Jirou. He thought it may have been by use of explosives implemented into the kunai, but there was none, only the fiery aura.

"My Fire Ninjutsu has a supplemental effect. Both my blade and other weapons like my kunai gain strong enough power to cut and pierce through even metal with greater ease than normal. This is a benefit that won't lost forever though, and is lasts for only a brief while after I've cast the Ninjutsu. This will be the quickest way to escape. When we reach outside, use the Spider Walk to remain aboard the ship. I must call my ally and let them know when to attack so that we won't get caught in the blast." Jirou didn't say anything further, and only a few walls separated them from the lower side of the Wing of Darkness. The three used the Spider Walk to remain suspended near the underside. Jirou pulled out Matsu's cellphone and called the inn, hoping for a quick response.

"Jirou-san, you finally called. I was getting worried when I kept seeing that thing fall and then right itself up again." It was Miya that answered.

"Miya-dono, count to twenty and then do what it is you have to and destroy this ship. Nothing we've done has worked out like I had envisioned." Jirou spoke loudly to get compete with the wind.

"We? No, let's discuss it later. Hurry and get off, I've got a clear shot. The count down starts now!" She said and the call ended. Jirou turned to his allies.

"It will be a long fall. Brace yourselves! Once we near the surface of the water, perform the Water Walk and make it back inland as fast as possible!"He ordered. The three jumped.

The City of Shintou Teitou

The countdown had ended. Miya had drawn the cracked katana from the sheath gingerly before raising it overhead.

"One strike...make it count." She muttered, leveling her gaze directly towards the Wing of Darkness. Believing she had the angle and trajectory spot on, she brought her weapon in a two handed grip. She exhaled slowly in a measured breath to still herself as much as possible, then swung downward. The air in front of her distorted in a wide arc that trailed outward in the direction of the airship. Immediately after, her katana cracked to pieces. Miya kept her gaze towards the Wing of Darkness.

MBI Tower, tallest structure of Shintou Teitou

"Finally! She did it! About damn time! Let's focus back on the airship now!" Hiroto's grin was so big the top of his head looked like it might disconnect from the bottom. He slammed his fist against the top of his desk in triumph. Any straggling f-35 had been called away so as to not be caught up in the sonic wave.

"Go! Go! You beautiful sonic wave you! Go and tear that thing apart! Ha ha ha...HA HA HA HA!" His moment of gloating was cut short by a call from Takami.

"What is it Takami-kun, I'm a bit busy right now!" Hiroto answered impatiently.

"Don't take that tone with me Minaka! I'm just calling to say that I'm extending to a week long vacation time and I still get to choose the days and tomorrow I'm taking my first full day off, and I don't want to hear a peep from anyone in the tower...not even if the damn thing tips over!" Takami hung up the phone without another word. She scowled.

'What could Homura be troubled by if I have to meet him...and at Maison Izumo of all places...I'm not sure if I'm even welcomed there...' She had her hands full patching up dead Sekirei. Saki was out and about getting some things of her own ready so she could track the bodies. Takami wished that she could just put a internal tracker into one of the bodies, but Hiroto still had the bodies thoroughly inspected for foreign things like that, hence why Saki had to resort to so many external and not as easy means. Takami could only pray that there would be success this time around.

Sea of Japan

The three ninja ran along the water surface, heading inward towards the city of Shintou Teitou once more. Jirou was the first to notice the sonic wave's air distortion.

'What power...' He could also feel the immense energy generated to create such a thing. That it had such razor focus was astonishing.

"What is that...thing? It's like a sonic boom or something..." Hibana saw it too, as did Hotsuma.

"Your friend's card...I wager?" Hotsuma said.

"I believe it is..." Jirou nodded. The three turned their heads and saw as the distorted air blade slammed into the airship, then went right through it like a hot knife through butter. The Wing of Darkness came apart in two halves before exploding in a violent explosion.

'I knew Miya-dono was amazingly powerful...but I didn't expect such an elegant attack...though I should have. Miya-dono...I must thank you in person.' Jirou saw what he wanted to see. Now he focused on making it inland once more.

"Finally...today was rougher than I expected. Guess that's what also made it so fun!" Hibana laughed. Hotsuma chuckled as well. The three kept speeding along, hopeful that satellite feeds would be mainly on the Wing of Darkness as it fell into the Sea of Japan. In pieces.

Maison Izumo, within the Northern City of Shintou Teitou

"Yes! It's gone!" Matsu rose to her feet so quickly she nearly tripped herself up in an entanglement of wires and cords.

"Ah...thank goodness..." Kochou sighed in physical exhaustion. She removed the head set from her ear as did Matsu.

"Let's go tell the others then, shall we? Oh yeah, but according to Miya-tan, she wants us to say that it was Jirou that destroyed it, not her. So keep that in mind." Matsu instructed.

"What of the two black ninja? I guess since they are with Jirou-san they are allies, but..." Kochou inquired. Matsu waved a hand dismissively.

"They are going to have to be Miya-tan's responsibility I think. Her and Jirou-tan. We won't mention anything to the others regarding them until those two give the okay." Matsu said.

"Okay. I was on that line of thinking already...so we are on the same page." Kochou responded. The two information Sekirei exited the small room. Since there were so many new people hanging around, they all were told to wait downstairs for the Landlady's return to the inn. Plus neither Matsu or Kochou wanted to have their work area overcrowded with people to the point of detracting from their work. Several questions still remained, but for now they had some good news to spread.

New temporary guests within Maison Izumo included Kuruse, Yahan, Tsukiumi, Taki, Kaho, Mitsuki, and Mitsuha on the Sekirei side. Kazehana had lived at the inn once before, so she had been a prior acquaintance of the inn. Chiho was the only Ashikabi here but currently bedridden, and Seo already knew the inn as well so he wasn't really a new guest either. Uzume hung out by the window, catching sight of the two first since everyone else was downstairs.

"Yo, Matsu, Kochou...did we win or something?" Uzume spoke with a soft smile. It was easy to tell given the wide grin on Matsu's face. Kochou had a smile as well, though it was much more reserved.

"Sure did!"

MBI Tower, Tallest structure in Shintou Teitou

Hiroto leaned back into his throne like seat and propped his legs upon his desk. He continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Finally...it's been taken out. Any words to say? Go on, I'll wait!" Hiroto sneered, expecting the voice to pop up in his head. None did so.

"Nothing eh? Funny, all that pandemonium and not a single winging still occurred like I had hoped...but plenty of Sekirei were eliminated from the Game...much more than I originally had anticipated...oh well..." Hiroto removed his glasses and cleaned them off with his handkerchief before putting them back on.

"It was still a thrilling day in the end...ah, so much drama and suspense, it was like watching a movie come to life!" Hiroto continued to talk to himself. His arms went limp over the side of his chair and he looked as if he might fall asleep on the spot.

"Doesn't matter...tomorrow, I'll have it taken care of. Natsuo-kun will wing the Disciplinary Squad. With Kara-chan, Beni-chan and Hane-chan winged...I can finally announce it...the Second Stage!" Hiroto sniggered at the ceiling.

"Shinobi-kun...the games will continue! There is no stopping it now...!"

Unknown

The blue light was so dim that in was near completely dark in the area. Sapphire orbs shined in the darkness once more.

'So many interesting events continue to unfold...how does it feel...my Greatest Creation? A remnant of your people yet live somewhere out there...upon that rock...I am not so heartless...cruel yes, but I do not lack heart...but I digress...I am so very amused...yes, very much so' Now the blue light shined out and illuminated more of the room.

'Now what can I do...? Now what will you do...? my Greatest Creation, you know it deep down...I'm sure...there will be a rift between you and them...between you and me...how will you react? For surely you must...realize it...' The silence still remained as nothing here.

"For the Master, there is no beginning or end...forever alone, he disappears into the breeze." As with the light, the voice spoke up loud and clear once again to shatter the silence. But then the light receded once again. Static filled the air for a brief few moments before all was still. The sapphire orbs, the eyes of something not of human's design, disappeared in darkness as well. Darkness reigned fully once more.

To Be Continued...


End file.
